Mae Rama Luang Karen Refugee Camp

Thursday 21st december,

Just back from tze refugee camp ... I'm fucked mentally and physically.
Maybe it's tze jungle blues or otherwise this nasty Lariam blues ... but don't ya worry folks I'm allright.
Man oh man ... what a couple of day's ... it's been a complete culture shock.
2 travel day's ... 3 performance day's and 6 shows later.
It's been amazing ... but all so bitterly sad ... Many of you folks including me would love to live in that area and with such simple lifestyle ...
But those people don't got any choice ... I call it tze alternative club med prison ... we're all blessed that we can go where we want ... but freedom out there is a bitter word ...
15368 people live in that camp ... many of them still got there families left in Birma.
I've been hosted by an environmental group ... 10 young kids all with such a sad background.
The stories I've heard ...
I've played in four schools for one of tze tuffest crowd I ever encounterd ... most Karen kids don't show any emotions ... but eventually did some kick ass shows.
Tze major one I did on tze pre day of tze Karen new Year befor a crowd of at least a 1000 of people (the official report says 6000 but I can't believe they where all watching).
I've encounterd a really nice guy from Human Wrights Watch, whose gonna write a story about me which is gonne be published in a local ngo magazine ... good advertisement for clowns without borders ...
So many things to tell ... the situation out here is still very bad, last year there been serious fighting on the other side of the border, that's why the camp is so full.
The Human Wrights Watch guy told me many nasty things ... forced childlabour, forced childsoldiers, medical ngo's fuckin' up the locals, poverty ...
I've seen a lot and won't be able to tell it ot you all at the moment ... I've writin' it all down and you can expect a full report ... probably when I'm back in Belgium.
A big shout out to the Kesan People, KWO, Human Wrights Watch and all you brave Karen People out there ...
I really hope that you all can go back to your country one day ...
You've been so nice to me ... thanks for your hospitallity, your strength, your warmth and your kind humor ...
Tablu Doma !!!

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