Like other developing countries, which experience migration crises, Burma/Myanmar today is no exception to the crises which inflict forced migration on to its citizens. Some of the reasons for this crisis are civil war, interethnic tensions, human right violations, political and economic instability. The International Organization for Migration’s report estimated that 10 percent of Burma’s population migrates internationally, although the accurate statistics are hard to obtain (IOM, 2008).

       Burma, with a population estimated from 53 to 58 million is a country best known as one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world. There are eight main ethnic groups in the country; Burman (Bumah), Shan, Karen, Kayah (Karenni), Chin, Kachin, Mon, and Arakanese (Rakhine) and more than 130 distinctive sub-ethnic groups (Steinberg, 2010). Historically, Burma has experienced a long period of conflict and migration among various ethnic groups along fluid frontiers (OSI, 1998).

       Throughout these long periods of conflict, different ethnical groups have been forced to endure many cruel policies and actions, by their own government. For instance, according to Rogers (2004), the military regime’s “four cuts” policy, (cut off resistance forces from food supplies, funds, intelligence, and recruits) which was introduced by General Ne Win in 1970s, resulted in systematic ethnical cleansing of regions. The outcome of these policies were widespread human rights violations, such as forced labor, rapes, burnt down villages and crops,  countless murders of people in ethnical minority, particularly Karen, Karenni, and Shan. These policies devastated local communities.

       Ongoing civil war and different forms of human right violations are the two main factors that force the Karen people to abandon their homelands, livestock, agricultural lands, and properties, in order to come live in poverty, as refugees, in a foreign land (KHRG, 2009).

       The Karen people have experienced over five decades of oppression, under the Burmese military. Since the major Burmese military operations were carried out, on the Karen National Union bases, on the border in 1984, hundreds of thousands of people had to abandon their villages, and take temporary refuge in the camps along the Thai-Burma border. Within these camps, the Karen have been supported by both local and international organizations allowing them to rebuild their lives and own education system.

       In the academic year of 2011 – 2012, there were more than one thousand youths enrolled in sixteen post-secondary education programs, in seven Karen populated refugee camps, along the Thai border. Zeus (2009) states, even though the programs have existed for more than sixteen years, research on refugee education shows; higher education sector (post-secondary) is very limited. Post-secondary schools, in the camps, play a similar role as community colleges, which are designed to help and support refugee students seek further education, develop skills, and provide a human resource pool for different sectors in refugee communities (Purnell & Kengkunchorn, 2008).

       However, in the refugee communities, on the Thai border and Karen state, higher education is not internationally recognized or accredited, by any other international institution (Kengkunchorn & Hipsher, 2010). After students graduate and receive a degree, they cannot apply for jobs or join any international institutions to continue their study, and get a higher education. This has created a sense of hopeless among youth refugee, who believed education was their only hope to a better stander of life and diverse opportunities.

       Barron (2004) notes that refugee camps are not natural places to live in; for example, the lack of freedom to study, work and travel. As a result of the Thai government’s policy, refugees are not allowed to leave the camp or work outside the camps. At the same time, it is very difficult for foreign English volunteer teachers to go inside in the camp.

       In hopes of addressing these issues, Kaw Tha Blay Learning Centre was born in 2008. It is available for students who are high school graduates from Karen State, under Karen Education Department Education system, Refugee Camps cross border in Thailand, Migrate High School, Thai School and Burma Education System High School. It also involves high school graduates from other ethnic areas and Burma, who want to study for two years, after completing grade ten. Our school is registered as a migrant learning center, under Thai Education Department. This has allowed foreigners to come and do volunteer work at our school, which gives students a chance to talk and learn from them. After students finished our two year program, some have opportunities to continue their education at a university, some became leaders in their community, most of them became community health workers, and while other continue medic training and became medics.