Karen refugees living in Mae La are caught in a legal limbo,
unable to return to Burma any time soon, their restricted status
denies them opportunities to live and work freely in Thai
society. While 20,000 refugees have been resettled in Australia,
the United States and Canada since the mid-90s, the nine UNHCR
established refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border, are now
home to a total of 124,300 registered refugees. Refugee and
migrant populations are considered to be at high risk from
sexually transmitted infections and HIV. Women are particularly
at risk. In 1995 Naw Jacqueline Min started a HIV and AIDS
program in Mae La with four clients. This grew to over 100 in
2009. UNHCR meets the expenses of this program; EUROPAD funds
the Anti-retroviral treatment and monitoring of their immunity
levels. However, most people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHAs)
are extremely poor and the meagre camp rations are not
sufficient to maintain their healthy nutritional status. PLWHAs
are unable to generate income and gene