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Dhaka Day by Day

Depicting the Displaced

by Fayza Haq
John Vink, who is here to phologrup'h the Rohingya refugees, had a slide show of h1s photographs of refugee camps all over the world at the Alliance Francatsc He also helped Judge a major photo contest, based on the theme of transport, which was held in the city.
'Refugee camps are supposed to be a temporary situation. They are in a place of transit where long-term ambitions and aspirations arc largely submitted to outside conditions. Besides the energy needed to adapt oneself to living conditions in an unusual environment, the refugee is brutally confronted with elementary existential questions like; where will I be next year, what will my life look like in the future, how much of my life or my social relations will I have to give up to fit into my new social environment? The very framework of their life is shattered. The trauma they suf-
fered for having had to abandon their life-habits, very often amplified by the violence that led to that change . is added to the uncertainties of their future." John comments about the refugees . tn general.
What are the problems he faced in his job? "1 haven t had many difficulties except in the case of transportation. and this was solved by working with Medecins Sans Frontiers.' an NGO. In India I had to wait for three weeks for authorisation and in Honduras I was kept waiting for weeks again. The camp had tight security and was allowed only two days when I normally spend about a month In each camp. John Informed me.
Docs he believe that his photographs will help change people' s attitude to refugees? "1 don't think m£
job is to change things. Photography doesn't change the world. Yet the world wouldn't be • the same without photographs. When a photograph changes the situation |t is exceptional. ” he replied.
Why has he chosen the theme of refugees for his photo essay? "I'm out to inform what ts happening. It becomes more evident when you see the actual photographs. Refugees are human like the others. 1 find it interesting and important to deal with distress. Refugees hardly have any access to the press." John explained.
Why docs he confine himself to black and white pictures?”! am adocumentary photographer I am playing with reality and representation of reality.A photo is not a reality but a rep-
resentation of it. When I take a black and white photo I confirm to the viewer that he- is watching a photo and not a reality If I was working In colour the viewer would have more references with reality and would be close to reality. 1 find It more honest to work tn black and white so that the distinction remains. Photography is a language and I don I consider myself and artist but rather someone who Is trying to use a language properly I submit the Information to the aesthetics. The aesthetics arc there only to make the things clearer to the viewer. An artist would deal with the matter the other way around." he ex plained.
I work in available lights. I use two cameras with the same lense. They arc no fancy cameras but they are- strong . efficient and light , the 44 -year old photographer from Brussels added.
What docs he do for financial backing?"! must say that the financial response from the media in this project has been quite limited to say the least. 68% of the production costs (846090), unlll now, was supported by myself. The rest was supported either by my agency in Paris, or by the daily Liberation'. The help I appreciate most Is what I receive systematically from NGOs which arc working in the- refugee camps. They provide me with lodging and transport in exchange for a few prints they use for their own fund-raising programme back home,” John Said.
Talking about the different places that he had been to, John narrated, ”1 began with the Sri Lankan refugees in Tamil Nadu In 1987 I then photographed the Guatemalan re
fugccs in Mexico. I later went to Hondurus the photographed the differences between the ways the Salvadoran and Nicaraguan refugees were treated. Then I proceeded to Sudan to phofograph the terrible situation that a civil war put its own citizens into. Next I went to Cambodia to photograph the Cambodian Karen and 1-aottan refugees. I also dealt with the Bulgarian refugees In Turkey, the Afghans in Pakistan, and the displaced people In Malawi, Hungary and Iraq. "
"1 tried to show the differences or similarities that exist between all these refugees, the way they cope with their problems, be it i.n the field of transportation, housing, food, fuel, health and child care, education, work, leisure or culture,' John concluded about his work. .