Has CNN just discovered poverty?

Posted on April 15, 2008
Filed Under Mae Sot |

On Monday, CNN ran a three minute report on children living at Mae Sot dump (see here).

The report by Dan Rivers, CNN’s Bangkok correspondent focuses on one orphan boy. While I am delighted to see the plight of Burmese migrants in Thailand getting any attention, this report is so intent on pulling on the heartstrings it fails to give the big picture.

By focusing on Burmese migrants living at the dump, the report failed to mention the thousands of migrant workers who find employment in Mae Sot’s many factories, often forced to work long hours for little pay and in appalling conditions. Also not mentioned are the thousands of Burmese migrant workers working throughout Thailand.

There is also no mention of the numerous migrant schools and grassroots organisations that exist to help migrant workers.

Besides a brief sound bite from my old friend Kitty McKinsey with the UNHCR in Bangkok, there was little explanation given to how the migrants wound up at the dump, while the root causes of the migrant worker’s situation – economic mismanagement in Burma – was only briefly covered.

Unfortunately, this is typical of our response when confronted with poverty. Instead of trying to rectify the underlying causes for poverty, we try to appease our consciences by throwing money at the problem. And, the CNN web site provides links to charities one can donate money to.

However, until we start taking a more holistic approach to poverty, including tackling corruption and improving the rights of migrant workers, then the poor will always be with us.

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