Work Among Tibetan Refugees \

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32210, 31 January 1970, Page 12

Work Among Tibetan Refugees \

Tuberculosis might have wiped out the entire Tibetan refugee population in India if Christian agencies had not provided free medical care for confirmed and suspected cases, Mr P. Brewster, a New Zealander who has been working with the refugees for nearly six years, said in Christchurch yesterday. Mr Brewster, who is a staff member of the World Council of Churches, said that for the 60,000 refugees, the move to India had brought a complete change in their whole way of life, and one of the major differences, the change in climate, had been mainly responsible for the tuberculosis outbreak. In the last five years about

1700 refugees had been treated at isolated sanatoria and thousands more had received medical attention at out-patients clinics.

“In the last year the number of patients has dropped considerably and it appears that the situation is under control,” he said. “Without the help of Christian agencies, however, it could have been very serious." The change in life had also brought several other medical problems including dysentery, caused by bad water supplies, intestinal diseases which were responsible for the deaths of many babies and small children, and skin diseases brought about mainly by the infrequent washing habits of the Tibetans and aggravated by the warm climate; .

Other problems included the difference in food and the unwillingness of many refugees to discard clothing worn in their homeland-for lighter garments. “I have seen Tibetans work-

ing in the fields in temperatures ranging from 130 to 140 degrees wearing about three layers of thick woollen garments, heavy trousers and long boots,” he said.

Because of the language barrier, religious differences, and general customs the Tibetans had also become an isolated community in India and were only now beginning to work in with the Indian people. While they still guarded their own nationality, the younger members particularly were accepting their new life well.

In India Mr Brewster has been mainly working under the guidance of the Tibetan Industrial : Rehabilitation Society, helping to resettle about 5000 refugees in the Himalayan foothills. With financial help from several sources, he has established ■ about eight industries which provide a permanent income for* the refugees in eight settlements. Mr Brewster said he esti-

mated that after another three or four years most of the resettlement should be completed. In the meantime the main needs were for better water supplies and more shelter. The Christchurch Jaycee project to collect bottles would raise money for shelter for these, refugees. Mr Brewster, whose workin India has recently been taken over by a Christchurch lawyer, Mr A. R. Cottrell, left New Zealand six years ago with his wife and four children as a fraternal worker for the Nattonal Council of Churches. He became a staff member of the World Council of Churches about four years ago. On Tuesday he will leave New Zealand again, this time to work in Mindanao, in the Philippines. There he will help resettle about 1000 tribal families living in the jungle, in permanent agricultural work. He expects to be there about three years.