ENGLISH DEYEA NEWS

by Salai Pi Pi | New Delhi (Mizzima) – United States first lady Laura Bush has been honored with the 2008 Freedom Award by Christian Freedom International (CFI) for her advocacy toward alleviating the protracted humanitarian crisis in eastern Burma.

The Michigan-based CFI on Friday announced Mrs. Bush as the winner in recognition of her role in raising the profile of the humanitarian crisis in Burma.

Mrs. Bush, who personally visited refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border in August, in a video message said, "I personally witnessed the devastating effect of these atrocities when I visited camps on the Burma border. That crisis needs our support and attention."

The first lady said tens of thousands of people from ethnic areas of Burma have been forced to spend decades in refugee camps and are struggling for survival in the mountains and the jungle without adequate food, medicine and shelter.

According to the Thai-Burma Border Consortium (TBBC), over the past year at least 66,000 civilians have been forced to leave their homes in eastern Burma because of increasing military activity and systematic human rights abuses including forced relocation of villagers by the Burmese Army.

The TBBC, a consortium of 12 international non-governmental organizations, provides food and shelter to 140,000 Burmese refugees in nine camps along the Thai-Burma border.

Sally Thompson from the TBBC told Mizzima that the high level visit by Laura Bush had raised awareness of the situation of the people in Burma and displaced people on the Thai-Burma border.

"As a first lady, she was able to use her position to increase understanding of the situation of those people inside Burma and those who have been displaced beyond the border," Sally said.

In her effort to push for United Nations action on Burma, Mrs. Bush, in September 2006, hosted a Dialogue on Burma during the General Assembly.

"Together we can fulfill Aung San Suu Kyi's call to use our freedom to promote freedom and democracy for all Burmese," Mrs. Bush said in her viddeo message.

CFI is a relief group that has provided humanitarian aid to refugees, particularly Karen and Karenni, on the Thai-Burma border since 1998. The group also works in facilitating the resettlement efforts of Burmese refugees seeking asylum in the United States.