December 2009
Chances are good that if you live in or have visited Porirua recently, you will encounter some of the many Burmese immigrants around. Over 40 Burmese families have made their homes in the east of the city, fleeing an oppressive military regime in their homeland.

Chances are good that if you live in or have visited Porirua recently, you will encounter some of the many Burmese immigrants around. Over 40 Burmese families have made their homes in the east of the city, fleeing an oppressive military regime in their homeland. KRIS DANDO caught up with two recent arrivals to find out a little bit about their lives, how they are fitting in to their adopted home and, importantly, how they celebrate Christmas.

Lian Thuam and husband Lin Pau graciously welcome Sonja - a social worker from Refugee Services - and I into their modest home in Cannons Creek. We notice the well-kept vege garden down the side of the house on the way in. Sonja reckons most refugee families will have something similar, trying to grow as much of their own food as they can.

Inside, much of the furniture has been donated or sourced from Trash Palace, the recycling centre near Porirua's landfill where you can drop off and buy second-hand goods.

Lin does most of the talking as his English is the stronger of the two. He says the duo have been in Porirua since October 9, after being in a refugee camp in Mangere for six weeks, the first stop for many refugees to New Zealand.

His story is not uncommon - falling foul of the notoriously harsh military junta that has controlled Burma (the military changed the country's name to Myanmar in 1989 but refugees still call it Burma) - he fled his homeland, eventually ending up in Malaysia.

Lin, 33, and Lian, 27, hail from the Chin state in Burma, meeting when they were at school. Coming back from a job in Thailand three years ago, Lin says he was stopped at the border. A parcel given to him by Thai friends had "political literature" in it that could have seen him face a jail term if it was discovered, so he ran.

"I was stopped at a checkpoint by soldiers, police and immigration. I went to the bathroom and when I came out they called my name [over a loudspeaker], asking me to come to the office. I was facing eight years in jail and it would have been hard for me to survive, I was very afraid. So I escaped to Thailand."

After Lian joined him, Lin found a variety of work, such as in a limestone factory, breaking rocks and driving trucks, before the opportunity arose to come to New Zealand.

Now they are both looking forward to studying at Whitireia Polytechnic next year, learning English. Lin even has plans to one day become a mechanic, while Lian, a Sunday School teacher in Burma, isn't sure what the future holds for her.

Starting a family may not be too far away, she shyly concedes.

A big goal for Lin in 2010, along with completing his studies, is buying a car. Having to walk, catch the bus or get rides from friends is a pain, and having your own vehicle equals an extra dose of independence.

Despite the gulf in culture, they are settling in well. Food is much less expensive than back home, they're coping with New Zealand's fickle climate and they have made a number of friends. Recent graduates of the Computers in Homes programme, they will soon be given a computer (with internet and six months free broadband) so they can keep in touch with family in Burma.

Regular telephone calls are made to relatives, however.

"We very much enjoy being in Porirua, we have many friends now, but I miss Burma very much," Lin says.
Sonja says that in 2009 Porirua welcomed three Burmese families in March, five in May, one in July, two in October and one in November.

"It's very impressive to see how the community comes together to help them [the new arrivals], showing them where the local church is and the shops are. The refugees who have been here for a while are leading the way."

Going back to 2006, 49 refugee families have settled in Porirua. Of these, 43 are Burmese, along with three Iraqi, and one each from Afghanistan, Vietnam and Indonesia. One Iraqi family moved into Wellington, Sonja says, because they preferred the city living as opposed to the "smaller feel" of Porirua.

The Burmese have enrolled at Whitireia or picked up work where they can, she says. They love being in New Zealand but are always going to have a mix of feelings.

"I think there is a real conflict of emotions, because the refugees are happy to get away from what is happening in their homeland, but feel guilty about leaving family."

Owing to British colonialism and the influence of Baptist missionaries, over 70 per cent of the Chin state (1.5 million people) are Christian, with nearly 20 per cent following Buddhism and the remainder either Islam, Hindu or tribal beliefs.

Lin and Lian are Baptists and their first Christmas in New Zealand will be a quiet one. On December 6, they met with fellow Burmese for a barbecue at QEII Park and did a Secret Santa-type present exchange. The pair are "very happy" with the Lynx gift pack and set of drinking glasses they received. There won't be a decorated tree or gifts exchanged on December 25 in their household  mainly due to not having a lot of money.

Rather, they will go to a church service at Hosanna and give thanks for what they already have, says Lin.
There is one Burmese tradition they will follow; waiting till midnight on December 24 and eating a dish of rice and chicken.

"We pray first and then eat together. At home on Christmas morning we might kill a pig and eat again, this time with vegetable soup, more rice or pork curry. Then we play guitar and sing. In Burma there is a lot of music, [in mid-December for one week] we go to each house one-by-one at night time and sing."

For the New Year, there will be more chicken and rice close to midnight, along with prayer. A key thing to note is the absence of alcohol, such a big player in Western Christmas and New Year celebrations.

On our way out, Sonja and I get a quick tour of the vegetable garden. There's plenty of lettuce plants, along with mustard, parsley and runners for beans. Lin and Lian might be in a strange land, thousands of kilometres away from their families and where they grew up, but they have each other, they are looking forward to the challenges that await them, and they are happy.

Sonja says if there is one thing she has learnt from the refugees she encounters every day it's their courage.

"They have been through this incredible journey to get here and I'm just amazed by their courage. We can learn a lot from how they live their lives."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/local/kapi-mana-news/3182859/Lian-and-Lin-making-Porirua-home/

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