Ruth Gumnit's "Don't Fence Me In" Film Screening February 16, 2006

Since 1962, Burma has been ruled by a military junta. Despite its former prosperity and its rich resources, it was voted least developed nation by the UN in 1987, and human rights atrocities continue to prevail. Forced from their homes by the government, more than 100,000 people live in refugee camps along the border between Burma and Thailand; hundreds of thousands more hide in jungles on the Burma side. They are the Karen people, one of the largest ethnic groups in Burma. Don't Fence Me In chronicles the life of 70-year-old freedom fighter Major Mary On and her people's struggle for self-determination. Mary explains how the Karen are fighting for their very survival; the Burmese military's goal is "to wipe the Karen away so if you want to see them you'll have to go see them in the museum. See just an image or picture." Her charismatic storytelling is accompanied by rare, clandestine footage smuggled out of the Karen refugee camps. Submitted by Eventful on behalf of docued