Volunteers from the Buddhist humanitarian relief organization JTS Korea, founded by the revered Korean Dharma master and Buddhist activist Venerable Pomnyun Sunim (법륜스님), carried out their third humanitarian mission to support Myanmar refugees along the Thailand–Myanmar border from 12–18 May. 

Working in collaboration with the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB), this third mission expanded JTS’s efforts beyond the western border town of Mae Sot, which had been the focus of their first and second relief efforts, to northern locales in Chiang Mai and Chiang Dao. The JTS team delivered essential supplies and compassionate solidarity to more than 1,000 beneficiaries in communities displaced by Myanmar’s ongoing crisis.

“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to JTS Korea for their dedicated efforts in the recent humanitarian support project along the Thailand-Myanmar border and our strategic partners: BEAM Foundation, Bodhiyalaya Foundation, and Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University Foundation,” INEB said in a recent statement. “From 12–18 May, this collaborative initiative delivered much-needed food and educational assistance to more than 1,000 beneficiaries across 20 locations in Mae Sot and Chiang Mai. The success of this project reflects the power of partnership and shared commitment to supporting vulnerable communities affected by ongoing challenges in the region.”

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim established the humanitarian relief organization Join Together Society (JTS) in 1993 as an expression of the compassion of engaged Buddhism and based on the principle that helping others is the best way to enrich one’s own life. Headquartered in Seoul, JTS operates program offices in South Korea, Germany, and the United States, along with field offices in India and the Philippines. The relief organization has also earned Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

Myanmar has been embroiled in a political and humanitarian crisis since the country’s military declared a state of emergency on 1 February 2021. The junta detained President Win Myint, State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, and other members of the governing National League for Democracy (NLD) party just hours before the country’s new parliament was due to convene following a general election in November 2020, in which the NLD made substantial electoral gains.

Since the coup, the military-led State Administration Council has sought to consolidate its hold on power by conducting violent crackdowns on public dissent and street demonstrations held in defiance of the military-led suppression. Even the country’s venerated Buddhist monastic sangha have found themselves in the military’s crosshairs.*

The precarious nature of the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar was exacerbated by the devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar on 28 March.** Thailand’s border regions have become major refugee transit and shelter zones for displaced communities fleeing military oppression in Myanmar.

The South Korean JTS volunteers, based in Bangkok and Manila, painted a grim picture of the challenges facing those fleeing persecution in Myanmar.

“This year, the atmosphere in the border areas was more tense than last year, so we changed our support approach. Instead of bringing aid supplies directly with us, we sent them ahead to schools and centers, and after arriving we distributed them directly onsite,” one JTS volunteer observed. 

“Since this period coincided with a school break, we couldn’t meet many students, which was unfortunate. However, we were able to engage meaningfully and more deeply with the few children we did meet.”

Charged with bringing hope, empowerment, and self-reliance to underprivileged communities in developing countries, JTS is run and manned by unpaid volunteers, who ensure that all donations benefit the marginalized communities with which the organization works. JTS carries out relief work in countries suffering from humanitarian disasters, with the aim of “solving the problems of poverty and pain in Asia by the efforts of Asian people,” and has already completed humanitarian projects in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, North Korea, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka.

In Mae Sot, following requests that foodstuffs were needed more urgently than school supplies, JTS brought packages of food essentials. In the Chiang Mai region, the volunteers were able to deliver both school supplies and food items. 

“At the safe house we supported for the first time, we met a soldier who had lost his leg to a landmine, a teacher who was on the arrest list for anti-government activities, and students who had come seeking a place to study as public education has collapsed in Myanmar,” a JTS volunteer related. “The refugee school we had already visited on previous occasions was still in poor condition, but it was reassuring to see it gradually becoming cleaner and better organized.”

At Viegheng Refugee Camp in Chiang Dao, rice and other food items sent in advance were neatly organized, and the residents welcomed the JTS volunteers warmly. The residents lined up to receive relief packages: the elderly first, then women, then men, with young people helping the elderly who were unable to carry heavy loads themselves.

“The conduct of the residents, and the grandmother who returned to thank us with a bright smile after receiving her supplies, all showed us that this was a community that naturally maintained good social order and took good care of the elderly and vulnerable,” a JTS volunteer added.

“After finishing the distribution, we had a conversation with the leader of the camp. The story of how he led about 600 people across the border 20 years ago when the military government’s political oppression of the minority Shan people intensified, established a settlement, and built the current stable refugee camp through the leadership and drive of just one person left a deep impression. It was a time to reflect once again on how much change that leadership rooted in right thinking, faith, and dedication can bring about.”

The JTS volunteers’ itinerary also included an orphanage operated by the refugee camp for children whose parents had died, been imprisoned, or cases where only the children had been sent across the border. At Wat Fah Wiang Inn, a temple school, they spent time with young novice monks. And at Ban Lak Taeng School, they played traditional games with the children.

As Myanmar’s political crisis continues and displacements escalate—especially among minority communities—the need for sustained, grassroots support is growing. JTS’s ongoing efforts are a clear example of engaged Buddhism in action along the Thai-Myanmar border, where they not only bear witness to suffering, but respond with care and commitment. Their work is a reminder that meaningful change begins with ordinary people showing up and manifesting extraordinary compassion through whatever means are available.

Ven. Pomnyun Sunim, the guiding Dharma teacher of Jungto Society, is a widely respected author and social activist. He has founded numerous organizations, initiatives, and projects across the world. In October 2020, The Niwano Peace Foundation in Japan presented the 37th Niwano Peace Prize to Ven. Pomnyun Sunim in recognition of the revered monk’s international humanitarian work, environmental and social activism, and his tireless efforts to build trust and goodwill between communities of different faiths and cultures, toward the goal of world peace.***

* Buddhist Monastics Targeted in Ongoing Crackdown by Myanmar’s Military Junta (BDG), Myanmar Junta Drops Plan to Place Buddhist Monks on Military Roadblocks (BDG)

** Engaged Buddhism: INEB Offers Update on Humanitarian Aid One Month After Myanmar Earthquake (BDG)

*** Buddhist Monk Ven. Pomnyun Sunim Awarded the 37th Niwano Peace Prize (BDG)

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Pomnyun
Jungto Society
JTS Korea
JTS America
International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB)

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