Since Myanmar opened up under the semi-civilian government in 2011, the diaspora have been encouraged to return.

As persecution on the basis of political activity or ethnicity is often the reason they left, many are reluctant to return permanently to what is an unclear political situation. As a result, brief stays are common. After so many years away from home, family and friends, it is difficult to image the experience of returning.

Burmese paintings find their home in a Chiang Mai gallery...

"It’s a sad reflection on the Rangoon regime’s restrictive policies on artistic expression that one of Southeast Asia’s finest collections of contemporary Burmese art isn’t to be found in Burma, but in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand.

Burma/Myanmar has suffered
from two decades of mine
warfare by both the State Peace
and Development Council and
ethnic-based insurgents. There
are no humanitarian demining
programmes within the country.
It is no surprise that those states
in Burma/Myanmar with the most
mine pollution are the highest
IDP- and refugee-producing
states. Antipersonnel mines
planted by both government
forces and ethnic armed groups
injure and kill not only enemy
combatants but also their own

SLORC has seriously stepped up its campaign to clear the entire rural population out of Papun District and make the entire area a free-fire zone. Since December 1995, orders have been issued to every rural village under SLORC control from Kyauk Nyat in the north to Ka Dtaing Dtee in the south, from the Salween River (the Thai border) in the east to at least 10 km. west of Papun - an area 50-60 km. north to south and 30 km. east to west. This area is rugged hills dotted with small villages, averaging 10-50 households (population 50-300) per village.

Abstract: "Burmese refugees in Thailand maintain economic, social and
political links with their country of origin, but these transnational activities
are influenced by the politics and level of development of the country of
origin and the host country. Through transnational activities, refugees can
have a positive impact on the home country by contributing to peace-building
and development or they can enhance conflict, as the discussion on
community engagement and political transnationalism will illustrate. Clearly,

#039;"Welcome to our new Kachin townships," the camp administrator said sarcastically as he guided us down the muddy path leading to one of the dozens of refugee camps scattered through Kachin, the thin sliver of land which forms Burma's northernmost region. Makeshift shelters constructed from canvas and bamboo are now home for thousands of internally displaced people.

The United Nations refugee agency say there are more than 50,000 displaced people here, the Kachin put the figure much higher...

...The report pin points the dismal conditions for the Karen people throughout
the district, but the desperate situation of specific group in worst hit areas. It
was always the intention to build on the BERG report, Forgotten Victims of a
Hidden War: Internally Displaced Karen in Burma, published in 1998, which
provided the background and general description of the displacement of the
Karen in Kawthoolei. The Mu Traw report has been the first attempt by the
CIDKP to provide more detailed information focussing on a single district. It is

Executive Summary: "Instability that started in June 2011 across Kachin
and northern Shan states has resulted in displace‐
ment, damage of infrastructure and loss of lives and
livelihoods. Despite ongoing peace negotiations be‐
tween parties to the conflict, incidents continue to
be reported.   
The number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
has been steadily increasing since the beginning of
the conflict to an estimated 65,000 IDPs in July
2012. These people sought refuge in camps, in pub‐

Executive Summary:
"Worsening conflict and abuses by Burmese government troops in
northern Shan State have displaced over 2,000 Palaung villagers from
fifteen villages in three townships since March 2011. About 1,000,
mainly women and children, remain in three IDP settlements in Mantong
and Namkham townships, facing serious shortages of food and medicine;
most of the rest have dispersed to find work in China.
Burmese troops have been launching offensives to crush the Kachin