WITH a General Election looming many people are starting to think about who they will vote for, however, for those living in Burma, where people are also due to head to the polling stations this year, the only choice is to flee the country.

Thornbury town councillor Helen Harrison spent 10 days on the Thai-Burmese border last month working with the Karen people who now live in the Nu Poe refugee camp in Thailand, having fled from Burma.

"For many years the Karen people have been persecuted in Burma and many have now fled their homelands in search of safety," she said.

"All these people had similar stories of fleeing from Burmese soldiers in the middle of the night through jungles.

"Many had horrific stories of their villages being raised to the ground and rape being used. It was very humbling to be alongside these people only for a few days."

It is estimated that more than 100,000 Karen people have left the Karen State in eastern Burma to live in refugee camps in neighbouring countries.

Mrs Harrison was in Thailand with a global development charity called Partners, which focuses on the struggle the Burmese people face.

Burma, or Myanmar as it is also known, is run by a military junta, which took control of the country 20 years ago.

World aid organisations have long campaigned for fair democratic elections to be held in the country and for improvements in health care and human rights.

During her time in Nu Poe Mrs Harrison worked primarily with the children living in the camp.

"We decided to take Christmas to them with crafts, games and songs. We wanted to give these children the chance to put their dramas and nightmares behind them and just be kids again," she said.

Mrs Harrison is no stranger to raising awareness of oppressed and poverty-stricken people and has dedicated much of her life to working with a variety of aid agencies around the world.

Now she has returned home to Thornbury Mrs Harrison said she wants to fulfil the promise she gave the Karen people she met in the refugee camp and highlight the human rights issues in Burma.

She said: "The one message that came from all the people I spoke to, to enable them to move forward, was when I got home I had to tell people what I saw and what I heard."

For more information visit www.partnersworld.org