Across The Line

This photograph was taken during a brief but emotionally powerful visit across the Burma borderline. The children stand in front of rebuilding projects for their school, church and houses at Ler Pher Hurn village, which has been attacked by Burmese soldiers four times in as many years. The troops regularly burn villages and kill or enslave what Karen they catch. We were warned by radio that the soldiers were only 1km away on patrol when I snapped this picture. We hurried back across the border, the charred remains of the previous village visible as our long-tail boat skidded up the Moei River.