ABSTRACT
Brecht states that life is hard for refugees in camps in Thailand. This chapter argues that the camp environment produces if there is any compensation for the many manifest difficulties it is the thriving social capital and community which exists within the refugee camp. In Thailand, the points of connection run deeper, as the camp populations are broadly homogenous, with the majority of residents sharing an ethnic identity and often also a common religion. The first form of community within the refugee camps is situational and territorial, consisting simply of camp residents. In the early years of the camps existence, refugee's residents were almost exclusively ethnic Karen and their management structures reflected this, from the Karen Refugee Committee (KRC) to the community organizations of the Karen Women Organization (KWO) and Karen Youth Organization (KYO). KWO and KYO are community-based organizations but they are also firmly part of the Karen political and military elite.
