The cast of Reef Doctors
New Year?s celebrations. But the audience is
Thai-Burmese border. I had begun shooting a
made up primarily of refugees from Burma.
documentary project that explores the lives of
Participating in these events and hearing refugee
Karen refugees here in Sydney, tracing their
stories has greatly increased my awareness of and
journey back to the Thai-Burmese border, and I
empathy for the refugee experience in Australia.
was lucky enough to interview Dr Cynthia and
Even understanding the presence and need for
two other female community leaders at that
STARTTS (The NSW Service for the Treatment
dinner.
and Rehabilitation of Trauma and Torture
O
Survivors) brings home the gravity of the
huge political changes in Burma. My family,
circumstances some of these refugees have faced.
along with the Karen community, and indeed the
T
rest of the world, were elated when Aung San Suu
This year, Australia honours two inspirational
Over the past couple of years there have been
Burmese women. This month Aung San Suu Kyi
Kyi was released from house arrest. However
is receiving her honorary doctorates from the
even though there have been gestures of change,
University of Sydney and UTS, and Dr Cynthia
such as releasing some political prisoners and a
Maung has just been awarded the 2013 Sydney
ceasefire with ethnic groups, democracy is far
Peace Prize.
from concrete. Dr Cynthia made it clear that it
I
will be a number of years before there is
I was privileged to MC a community dinner
recently where Dr Cynthia Maung was guest of
infrastructure that can support the Burmese
honour, the evening after she received her 2013
people, with meagre expenditure on healthcare
Sydney Peace Prize for her clinic and work on the
and education that pales in comparison to the