Burmese Brands Banned in Mae La Refugee Camp at Thai-Burma Border
Saw Thein Myint, KIC
April 21, 2009
(Photo – Entrance to Mae La Refugee Camp)
The authority from Mae La Refugee Camp at Thai-Burma border issued an advisory not to trade or use some Burmese brands and products starting from yesterday.
Among the banned products, some of them were kitten appliances, Burmese traditional medicines, food-coloring powders, dried tea leaf and tea leave salad. It was announced over loud speakers that if not followed, they would be prosecuted.
Saw Tun Tun, secretary of the camp told that according to Center of Disease Control from Bangkok, the lab had run test on Burmese consumer products and food and found lead poisoning in them. They had to issue such measure to the community, he explained.
“They have taken samples from No Po and Mae La camps. They also looked for one particular Burmese brand they found in Minnesota from USA. It was about 13 kinds. They sent them over to the lab in Indiana state and that lab issued the result. The reason behind was because of Burmese children migrated over to US between 5 to 12 year of age. There were 200 kids tested positive for lead poisoning. The US authority suspected of the products used back in the camps. So they issued the list and we have to ban the products here.”
Told Saw Tun Tun.
One of the house wives from Mae La Refugee Camp told the news agency that according to the new regulation, it was easy for her not to use the foods and medicines but for kitchen appliances, it would be hard for her to avoid using them.
“I do not have any money to replace or buy new pots, plates or dishes”
She told the new agency.
One stall vendor who sold Burmese consumers products said that he could accept the advisory not to sell such products or foods from the list because it was for all public good.
However some sources told the new agency that there’s no such advisory announced or regulated yet in other Refugee Camps.
Mae La Refugee camp was located 45 kilometer from Mae Sot, a small town of Thailand with 40,000 populations and considered one of the biggest camps along the Thai-Burma border.
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