WATERLOO REGION

When Ner Ta Nyein steps outside, he's used to being watched, guarded and told where and where not to go.

He, his wife, Ehmey Pakat, and nearly all of his eight children, lived for 27 years in Thailand, 12 of them in a refugee camp.

"Here, it's free for us. It's safe in everything here,'' said Nyein, 73, a Myanmar native who came to Canada as a refugee last June.

"We came to Canada through the grace of God and the Canadian government,'' Nyein said.

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, is still referred to as Burma by many of 450 refugees who live in Waterloo Region.

Nyein will be part of a panel discussion tomorrow for World Refugee Day.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees marks World Refugee Day. This year's theme, Real People, Real Needs, focuses on the human story of refugees and the importance of meeting their needs.

In Kitchener, the day will be marked with a movie and a panel discussion at the Registry Theatre from 5 to 8 p.m.

Fauzia Mazhar of the Community Coalition on Refugee and Immigrant Concerns said this year's local focus is on refugees from Burma.

Nyein, a rice paddy farmer, and his family were forced to leave their village in the eastern part of Burma because they are part of the Karen ethnic group, a persecuted minority.

In Thailand, his family was treated as intruders with no status. Nyein said living in the camp was bearable because of assistance from non-governmental agencies.

Nyein taught history in English and in the Karen language to students in the school at the camp.

For Nyein the hardest part about living in Canada is learning to speak English. He sees his children and grandchildren struggle with the language.

Three of his adult children live in Canada. Four are in Thailand and one lives in Burma.

He hopes another son and his family will leave the camp and come to Canada with the assistance of the Canadian government.

lmonteiro@therecord.com