Burmese Migrant Movie Premiers at Film Festival

A movie depicting the plight of Burmese migrants in Thailand will be shown for one night at the World Film Festival in Bangkok on Saturday, Nov. 14.

The 96-minute drama, "Colors of Our Hearts,” is based on four true stories involving migrant workers and ethnic hill tribes people: an Akha migrant girl who was sold to a brothel; a Karen girl forced to work as a slave; a migrant teacher; and a Mon boy who dreams of a new schoolbag and meeting the Thai king.

The crew and cast of the movie include Burmese, Thai, Mon and other ethnic persons. The film was shot in Mahachai and Chiang Mai, where many Burmese migrants work.

“Colors of Our Hearts” was produced by an NGO, Friends without Borders, and was directed by Supamok Silarak. The screenplay was written by Th’blay Paw and Hta Haw Koh.

Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Wednesday, Th’blay Paw said, “The film intends to raise awareness about Burmese migrants. We want the Thai people to see migrants as human beings, just the same as Thais.”

Burmese migrants have very hard lives in Thailand, she said. They sometimes get arrested and often have to run from the police. I have memories of this from my childhood in Mahachai. I felt very sorry for them. To help, I decided to make a film, which is a powerful medium to let more people know about what is going on around them.

“Our film is different from other movies, because real migrants played parts, not professional actors and actresses. So, it is very realistic to watch,” she said.

“Colors of Our Hearts” is a sequel to the movie “Hongsa’s Schoolbag,” which debuted at the World Film Festival last year and won first prize.

“Hongsa's Schoolbag" tells the story of a Mon boy living with his migrant parents in Mahachai, a port near Bangkok. In the film, his mother tells him not to play with Thai children because if he falls out with them he will be sent back to Burma. The boy, Hongsa, grows increasingly confused about why Thai police ignore criminals and only arrest innocent migrant workers.

The film portrays the unfairness and lack of freedom and movement that Burmese migrants face every day in Thailand. It shows that migrants are restricted to the provinces where they work, cannot meet in groups and cannot own motorcycles or cell phones.

Estimates of the number of Burmese migrants in Thailand vary from 2 million to 5 million. However, only 500,000 registered with the Thai Ministry of Labor in 2008. There will be about 1 million registering this year, according to Moe Swe, the head of the Mae Sot-based Yaung Chi Oo Workers Association.

Thailand and Burma have agreed to temporary passports for Burmese migrants to be issued at certain offices on the Thai-Burmese border. To date though, only 2,000 people have applied for the documents. Many migrants say they are afraid to register because of repercussions their families in Burma could face.

The deadline for migrants to apply for temporary passports is the end of February 2010. Migrants who don’t have passports will reportedly be repatriated to Burma.