HTEE K’HAW, Thailand — Fire destroyed the Kawthoolei Karen Baptist Bible School and College in the Mae La refugee camp on the border between Thailand and Burma (Myanmar) on April 28.
The school was founded by Saw Simon, the recipient of the Baptist World Alliance Human Rights Award in 2000, and offers general education to refugees and training to church leaders.
The fire also destroyed Simon’s dwelling.
Simon and his family fled across the Thai border after the school, originally located in Rangoon (Yangon), the former capital of Burma, was destroyed.
Mae La houses an estimated 50,000 people and is one of the largest of several refugee camps for displaced people from Burma who fled conflicts in the South Asian country. The school restarted with 32 students and has since grown in enrollment to more than 300.
According to Karen News, camp residents managed to put out the fire in about an hour.
“The Bible school has a long history and has been instrumental in so many ways as a ministry to the refugees along the Thailand/Myanmar border,” Stan Murray, area director for Southeast Asia and Japan for International Ministries of American Baptist Churches USA, said. “The school trained young people who then serve in ministry both in the refugee camps and in the countries where many of the refugees are settling, including in the U.S.”
There is uncertainty as to the start of school for the next term, which begins in June.
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