Immigrants From Myanmar Recycling Rubbish at a Dump Site in Thailand. Mae Sot, a town on the Thai side of the border between Thailand and Myanmar (formerly Burma), has become a refuge for immigrant families fleeing from the neighbouring country. Thousands of Burmese cross the border to escape one of the world\u2019s cruellest and most unjust military regimes. Some come to escape extreme poverty and the forced labour policies imposed by the Myanmar army, whereas others flee the ongoing, armed conflict in their country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to government statistics, there are at least two million Myanmar nationals working in Thailand. At least three-fourths of them do not have legal status. Out of ignorance or fear related to their illegal status, many of those who cross the border have little or no contact with Burmese social organisations that could offer them assistance in finding housing and employment. This lack of a social network severely limits the options open to these new immigrants, and many resort to living in a large rubbish dump just outside of Mae Sot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the filthy and unhealthy conditions in which these people must work and live, the rubbish dump offers them the opportunity to earn a higher wage than they could expect in Myanmar. By collecting recyclable materials, people can make about 100 baht (US$ 3,00) a day. At present, approximately fifty families are living in bamboo huts built on the mountains of rubbish at this site. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the rubbish is delivered to the dump, it has already passed through a double sorting process carried out in a private recycling plant located only a few metres away. This means that the refuse that enters the dump contains little potentially saleable material for these families to salvage. Living and working at the plant, even without a contract, is considered a great privilege. Once the residents of the dump have collected recyclable material, they usually sell it to shops in Mae Sot or in the nearby border town of Myawaddy, Myanmar.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Immigrants From Myanmar Recycling Rubbish at a Dump Site in Thailand. Mae Sot, a town on the Thai side of the border between Thailand and Myanmar (formerly Burma), has become a refuge for immigrant families fleeing from the neighbouring country. Thousands of Burmese cross the border to escape one of the world\u2019s cruellest and most<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":8240,"menu_order":323,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"edicion":[206],"class_list":["post-8352","finalistas","type-finalistas","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","edicion-206"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n