Mae La is a Thai refugee camp near the Burma border.
Most of the inhabitants in the camp are from the Karen minority and even if they are living in fairy tale surroundings their lives have been frozen for thirty years.
They can’t grow up, actually they can, but just physically. Intellectually and professionally there is no future for them in the camp.
The Thai-Burma border area is an exotic paradise but at the same time dangerous and tragic, however for most people, it is unknown.
Although at first glance this might seem an idyllic village and the quality of life of its inhabitants is much higher than «normal» standard of other refugees around the world,
the Burmese minority who live in the camp have suffered the most atrocious violence at the hands of the Myanmar army.
The camp’s residents have been stuck for almost thirty years in a small corner of tropical forest with no freedom or choices, but have managed to live with dignity between the barbed wire fence of the camp under the strict control of the Thai army.
The Karen are the Never Land’s people, more than sixty years of war has deprived them of a place to live.Today there are a lot of rumours after the ceasefire signed between the Karen leaders and the Myanmar authorities, this is just a first step on the long road of reconciliation, meanwhile Neverland remains at the second star to the right.
