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RELEASE
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Tel. +61 3 9925 3176
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MELBOURNE
BRUNSWICK
BUNDOORA
FISHERMAN’S BEND
POINT COOK
HAMILTON
HO CHI MINH CITY
HANOI
Photo exhibition supports Burmese refugees
An RMIT University student is helping raise funds for Burmese refugees through
an exhibition of beautiful and haunting photographs from his travels to refugee
camps on the Thai-Burma border.
Eli Greig, a Bachelor of Urban Planning (Honours) student, hopes to raise
awareness of the refugees’ plight through the exhibition, Cultural Landscapes:
Images of Asia, at the McCulloch Gallery until 26 May.
All proceeds from the exhibition will raise money for the Karen Environmental
and Social Action Network (KASEN), which supports refugees from the Karen
minority group living in camps on the Thai-Burma border.
Mr Greig, of East St Kilda, was so moved by his experiences during an RMIT
study tour to the refugee camps last year that he returned to Melbourne hoping
to find ways to support the people living there.
“The study tour affected me deeply – I was overwhelmed by the incredible
humanity, generosity of spirit and determination we found in all the people we
met,” he said.
“With this exhibition, I wanted to raise awareness in the Melbourne community
about the daily lives of Karen refugees and the broader political context that
forced them from their homes and across the border into Thailand.
“I also wanted to raise much-needed funds to help with environmental education
and rehabilitation within the camps.
“The latest disaster unfolding in Burma is a sad reminder of the ineptitude of the
military regime and the pathetic level of concern that they have for their own
citizens.”
The exhibition includes moving images from within the refugee camps as well as
stunning cultural landscapes from across South-East Asia.
What: Cultural Landscapes: Images of Asia – Charity Fundraiser for Burmese
Karen Refugees
When: Wednesday, 14 May – Monday, 26 May, 2008
Gallery hours: Wed-Fri 12pm – 6pm, Sat 12pm – 5pm
Opening night: Friday, 16 May, 5pm
Where: McCulloch Gallery, 8 Rankin Lane, Melbourne
(off Little Bourke St, between Queen and Elizabeth streets)
For interviews: Eli Greig, 0402 937 208.
For general media enquiries: RMIT University Media and Communications,
Gosia Kaszubska, (03) 9925 3176 or 0417 510 735.
14 May, 2008
NEWS 
