ABOUT

Sermpanya Foundation in Thailand supports community activities at the grassroots level, running mobile cinema screenings, media skills-training and producing educational and awareness raising films to benefit the lives of thousands of refugees, displaced people, migrants and local villagers living in camps and host communities along the Thai-Myanmar border. Through our Sermpanya Foundation, we use the power of film to bring non-formal education, information and inspiration to thousands of vulnerable people, raising awareness, changing lives and projecting hope for a better future.

Launched in 2009 with a pilot programme, our programmes were supported by parent organisation FilmAid Asia (Hong Kong) from 2011-2019, providing education, information, media skills training and psycho-social relief to thousands through the production and dissemination of films in local languages.

Since 2019 all operations have passed to Sermpanya Foundation, our non-profit Thai foundation registered in 2015.

In 2024, Sermpanya Foundation was proud to be welcomed as a full member of CCSDPT - the Committee for Coordination of Services to Displaced Persons in Thailand, a collaboration of INGOs and NGOs who work together to provide dedicated support for refugees in the 9 camps in cooperation with the MOI of Thailand. As a foundation, Sermpnaya is also able to support migrants and host communities along the Thai Myanmar border.

In Thai the word Sermpanya translates as ‘Sharing Wisdom’ or ‘Encouraging Knowledge’.

Watch our Promo below to see more…

BACKGROUND

Decades of conflict led by a brutal military regime in Myanmar, forced hundreds of thousands of ethnic nationals to flee their homes and seek refuge in neighbouring Thailand. 

A new ‘democratic’ NLD government was elected in 2015 in Myanmar and peace agreements were signed by different ethnic states. Hopes for a safe and dignified return were raised. However ongoing conflict, repression, land confiscation and extreme human rights abuses still continued in many regions of Myanmar making it an ongoing challenge for refugees to find a successful way to return and rebuild their lives. In February 2021, the Burmese military, under Gen Min Aung Hlaing, staged a coup and took absolute power, ignoring the NLD majority vote, and brutally cracked down against peaceful student protests in Yangon. The conflict escalated over the next 2 years and thousands were detained, arrested, and hundreds tortured and killed. As the Burmese military fought to gain control of border areas, the conflict descended into civil war in which thousands have been displaced, lost their homes, their families, their limbs, with many fleeing to Thailand to escape the indescriminant bombing and pillaging of villages and land. The conflict is ongoing and we can hear the bombs dropping.

Myanmar's military junta announced on 10 February 2024 that it would be enforcing mandatory conscription for men aged 18–35 and women aged 18–27. Those evading conscription face penalties in the form of heavy fines or imprisonment for three to five years. This has led to thousands more people fleeing across the border.

9 temporary shelter camps run along the length of the Thai Myanmar border, and have provided shelter for over 30 years to well over 150,000 refugees. These camps are located across the border from the conflict areas and provide a home to the many ethnic groups from Karen State, Karenni State, Kachin State, Shan State, Chin State, Mon State, Rakhine State (Rohingya) and Myanmar nationals. Many families and students who were forced to leave their homes to seek safety from the Burmese Army (Tatmadaw) during the previous years of military repression in the heart of the country, still live in the camps today with no opportunity to return home. Now the number of displaced people has increased as thousands more flee the current fighting and the threat of conscription.

According to MOI/UNHCR verified registration figures for March 2025, report 90,759 refugees live in the nine camps, while TBC’s caseload show an actual camp population of 108, 377 refugees.

As of January 2025, an Executive Order from the newly elected Trump Presidency paused and cut USAID funding across the globe. This had an immediate impact here on the border and has now led to many programmes being reduced or shut down with hundreds of staff losing their jobs and many areas of humanitarian aid not being delivered.

To add to this already worrying situation, a huge earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter Scale hit Myanmar, with the seismic waves hitting Thailand, India, China and Vietnam at 12.50 Myanmar time on March 28 2025. Here at Sermpanya Foundation the ground moved for several minutes both in our office in Mae Pa and in Mae La camp. The earthquake has destroyed thousands of homes, monasteries and nunneries and left many without their families or any hope for the future. The military Junta continued to bomb civilians even right after the earthquake happened and continues to distrupt the supply of humanitarian aid. The shocks continue and the rains have started.

Unexploded ordinance has been an ongoing problem in border areas for decades, but now this issue is increasing every day as bombings and drones continue to contaminate the landscape. For 13 years Sermpanya Foundation has been working closedly together with HI (Humanity & Inclusion) providing EORE (Explosive Ordinance Risk Education) to hundreds of thousands of people both inside and outside the camps along the Myanmar border. As of 30 April 2025 this project was shut down due to the USAID cuts. We hope to help resume the project in the near future, and also to share the new drama film on Conflict Preparedness and Protection Strategies and accompanying leaflet, which is ready to be disseminated to communities now.

The situation is an evolving one and while basic humanitarian supports continue to be provided by international and local NGOs (Non Governmental Organisations) and by CBOs (Community Based Organisations) the weight of all these stressors is leading to increased mental health issues for the refugee community and an increase in drug and alcohol abuse.

Here at Sermpanya Foundation - after a very impactful year in 2024, we are now feeling the impact of the cuts but are continuing to provide awareness screenings and distribution of household items for children and parents in the camps as we work towards finding support for existing projects, developing new projects, and strengthening existing partnerships and fundraising.

FOR MORE BACKGROUND INFORMATION

• For maps and more information into the history of the camps please go to the The Border Consortium resource website at https://www.theborderconsortium.org/resources/