Universal Declaration of Human Rights Namchai, a man, age 60 Refugee camp resident since 1997 Chief of a village from Karenni State, Myanmar Voice “Refugees are entitled to enjoy the same rights as any other human beings” Namchai is a 60-year-old man from Myanmar, who fled his hometown 11 years ago with his wife and four children during the military offensives in the Karenni State along the border with Thailand. Since then, he and his family have lived in Tham Hin Refugee Centre in Ratchaburi province. He is one of among up to 140,000 people who fled Myanmar to take refuge along the Western border of Thailand over the past decade. The Royal Thai Government has established nine refugee centres to accommodate those fleeing the fighting in Myanmar. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) regards registered camp residents as ‘refugees,’ while the Royal Thai Government refers to them as ‘displaced persons’ awaiting repatriation or resettlement in a third country. Namchai says that the camp has become his home over the past 11 years and that he does not want to go anywhere else. But, deep down, he says he is uncertain how much longer Thailand will allow him to stay. He realizes that the camp is just a ‘temporary shelter’. Asked about his views on human rights, he puts it simply: “Please don’t treat us like animals. Refugees are entitled to enjoy the same rights as any other human beings.” While an elderly man like Namchai wishes to spend the rest of his life in Thailand, many of the younger generation in the camp dream of moving on to a third country, he reports. 64 Dignity and Justice for All of Us