Burma Human Rights Network’s report: “We also have dreams” It is notable that of all the concerns refugees could have, the desire for autonomy and freedom to work was the most pressing. While living amid violence and uncertainty, refugees wanted above all to have a chance to return to their normal lives. The restrictions on movement and work in the camps have made this impossible for most and with each year that passes their lives are slowly being taken away from them. Without intervention, the refugees who came in 2017 may suffer a similar fate to those who came in the 1990s and see their children grow up never knowing life outside of a refugee camp. To get a sense of what refugees held as their hopes and needs, BHRN asked them what changes they hoped to see in the next year, as well as in the next five years. Overwhelmingly for both questions, refugees said they hoped to go back to Burma. Usually, other desires were listed in the event that they couldn’t go back to Burma. An elder woman told BHRN, “All I want is to return to Myanmar. I just want to go back right now if it’s possible. We cannot go elsewhere. All we want is our own native country. Enemies are behind every person here. So, whenever I want to move from this area, I worry I will face problems from an enemy.” The distrust of others in the camp is not surprising. People live in overcrowded areas with strangers while crime and violence often go unchecked. The desire to go back to Burma also involved a desire to return to communities where people knew their neighbors, worked together and had some sense of trust among themselves. Life in Burma, while severely restricted, had some possible options for Rohingya to earn income and have stability in their lives. Without this, crime has become a more common and accessible option for the younger generation. Similarly, drugs have become a problem in the refugee camps which was an issue Rohingya seldom dealt with in Burma. The most popular drug in the area is Yabba, a mix of amphetamine and caffeine that has been trafficked on the border of Burma and Bangladesh for years. The popularity of drugs and drug dealing was mostly unheard of among the Rohingya in recent years, but as desperation and organized crime in the camps grow, it is not surprising that drug use has increased as well. The remedy to this, like most problems mentioned in this report, is to address the root causes of that desperation while also offering support and services for those who may be addicted. www.bhrn.org.uk 44