No one would have imagined in 1984 that TBC would still be here, or worse that hundreds of thousands of people would still be displaced in southeast Myanmar and stuck in refugee camps in Thailand. Yet we stand here today, with the need in Myanmar as great as it ever has been.
But while we solemnly reflect on the dire situation inside Myanmar and the price that its communities have paid, we also want to commemorate the dignity, agency and resilience of local communities, who have stood shoulder to shoulder with TBC for four decades.
As part of our 40-year anniversary celebrations, TBC has produced a narrative report, telling the story of not just TBC but of civil societies role in assisting displaced communities alongside both sides of the Thai Myanmar border. It charts TBCs journey, from its establishment and growth into the organisation we know today. Drawing on 40 years of annual reports, it also uses TBC’s organisational history as a lens to view not just events in Burma and the border, but to highlight and champion the growing international acceptance of the strengths and legitimacy of refugee led governance structures. It shows how local refugee partners have developed systems and programs that are global best practice and show the international community there is a better way to provide humanitarian assistance. Rather than simply working for refugees, work with them.
