Colorado Burma Roundtable Network

CBRTN sees a need to continue its efforts within the scope of our vision and mission, to help Karen refugees in camps in Thailand and Burma, to help relocated refugees in Colorado, to raise awareness and provide monetary, educational and other forms of assistance - as acts of Christian mercy.

Specifically, CBRTN in the near future seeks to be able to:

Assist more Karen families with monetary and other types of aid as we are blessed by our many generous donors
Work more closely with the resettlement agencies in Colorado
(News/Links page)
Develop a network of churches, families, individuals and organizations that can help the Karen with their needs in resettling in the USA
Work with the broader network of aid and awareness-raising organizations to serve as a voice for the Karen, for the suffering people of Burma and better coordinate CBRTN's efforts locally and internationally

Recent events in Burma - such as the government crackdown of non-violent protests led by Buddhist monks, and the failure to provide assistance, indeed the prevention of the delivery of aid, to the victims of cyclone Nargis - only serve to reinforce the brutality and evil of the Burmese regime. International pressure continues to mount against the Burmese government and evidence has been presented before the United Nations, recounting in detail the atrocities against Burma's own population (TBBC, FBR). Over 3,000 villages have been destroyed in Burma, often burnt to the ground, and rape, torture and murder are common weapons of fear and persecution.

In the foreseeable future it is probable that refugees will continue to resettle in the USA, in fact, the numbers or arriving refugees is likely to only increase, so CBRTN believes that it will need to continue to help Karen refugees alongside the resettlement agencies for many years. It has been suggested that some 22,000 Burmese refugees will arrive in the USA within the next year - and Colorado may receive 2,000 more Burmese refugees.

CBRTN was only founded to ensure that Karen refugees are helped and given a reasonable chance of surviving and thriving in their new home, the US. Further, CBRTN is only one of many organizations that is helping to raise awareness of the situation in Burma and the consequent refugee situation. If there was no brutal regime persecuting the people of Burma, there would be no refugees, no need for their resettlement in the USA, and no need for CBRTN. To this extent, CBRTN will cease to exist only when the brutality against the Karen and other ethnic groups is stopped, and its services are no longer required.

Sadly, we believe that day to be some time away, and so our efforts will continue.