Pregnant refugee woman seeks protection in Malaysia
Mon refugees in Malaysia are seeking protection following the recent raids on refugees and migrants in Kuala Lumpur.
According to Piung Chan, a social worker from Mon Refugee Organization (MRO) based in Kuala Lumpur , 33 Burmese nationals were arrested in the early morning hours on August 17, 2007. Those arrested included a group of 9 Mon nationals and Chin and Burmese asylum seekers as well.
Among those arrested is an eight-month pregnant woman, Ms. Mei Korn Thaw, who is recognized by the UNHCR office as a refugee and who is reportedly unwell. “Her unborn baby and the girl both are in poor health, she has an appointment to see the doctor on August 23,” said Piung Chan.
As with all forced migrants who have left due to extreme poverty and refugees fleeing human rights abuses in Burma, 24-year-old Ms. Mei Korn Thaw and her husband fled from Sam Hlea village in Karen State to escape military suppression.
The Malaysian authorities and RELA (Peoples' Volunteer Corps or Ikatan Relawan Rakyat) armed with sticks and batons raided their makeshift shelters in the morning about 6:30 a.m. The refugees were arrested for illegal entry or for lacking proper documentation papers. After the raids, they were sent to Semenyih Detention Camp, an hour and a half east of KL. They are not allowed visitors and most will spend from one to six months in jail or a camp with the men being lashed or caned.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office recently registered about 90 Mon refugees after an officer paid a rare visit to the MRO office earlier this month on August 14.
Only a handful of Mon asylum seekers have been recognized as refugees in Malaysia despite increasing numbers there. Over 9000 Mon asylum seekers have registered with the MRO offices in KL and Penang and about 250 people have been able to register with the UNHCR in the past two years. According to unofficial estimates there are approximately 100,000 Burmese refugees in Malaysia with most working in the construction and restaurant industries.
Since human rights violations continue in southern Burma , many Mon have fled to Malaysia where they are classified as illegal immigrants by the government and are labeled as criminals by Malaysian society and who live under miserable conditions.
A recent report by Project Maje titled “We Built This City” documents the terrible working and living conditions of the Burmese people and the violations committed against them by the Malaysian authorities, while the refugees have contributed significantly to the development of the country. Burmese labour has built the many luxury hotels, condos and roads, which has brought prosperity for the Malaysian people.
Burmese refugees, even those with work permits or who have been recognized as refugees by the UNHCR, have been arrested, caned, and tortured by the RELA. The Malaysian NGOs have condemned the actions of RELA and called on the Malaysian government to abolish it because it reportedly commits brutal and violent acts by attacking, assaulting, kicking and beating refugees, including woman and children, with batons and sticks while conducting their search and seizure raids.
Mon refugees in Malaysia are seeking protection following the recent raids on refugees and migrants in Kuala Lumpur.According to Piung Chan, a social worker from Mon Refugee Organization (MRO) based in Kuala Lumpur , 33 Burmese nationals were arrested in the early morning hours on August 17, 2007. Those arrested included a group of 9 Mon nationals and Chin and Burmese asylum seekers as well.
Among those arrested is an eight-month pregnant woman, Ms. Mei Korn Thaw, who is recognized by the UNHCR office as a refugee and who is reportedly unwell. “Her unborn baby and the girl both are in poor health, she has an appointment to see the doctor on August 23,” said Piung Chan.
As with all forced migrants who have left due to extreme poverty and refugees fleeing human rights abuses in Burma, 24-year-old Ms. Mei Korn Thaw and her husband fled from Sam Hlea village in Karen State to escape military suppression.
The Malaysian authorities and RELA (Peoples' Volunteer Corps or Ikatan Relawan Rakyat) armed with sticks and batons raided their makeshift shelters in the morning about 6:30 a.m. The refugees were arrested for illegal entry or for lacking proper documentation papers. After the raids, they were sent to Semenyih Detention Camp, an hour and a half east of KL. They are not allowed visitors and most will spend from one to six months in jail or a camp with the men being lashed or caned.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office recently registered about 90 Mon refugees after an officer paid a rare visit to the MRO office earlier this month on August 14.
Only a handful of Mon asylum seekers have been recognized as refugees in Malaysia despite increasing numbers there. Over 9000 Mon asylum seekers have registered with the MRO offices in KL and Penang and about 250 people have been able to register with the UNHCR in the past two years. According to unofficial estimates there are approximately 100,000 Burmese refugees in Malaysia with most working in the construction and restaurant industries.
Since human rights violations continue in southern Burma , many Mon have fled to Malaysia where they are classified as illegal immigrants by the government and are labeled as criminals by Malaysian society and who live under miserable conditions.
A recent report by Project Maje titled “We Built This City” documents the terrible working and living conditions of the Burmese people and the violations committed against them by the Malaysian authorities, while the refugees have contributed significantly to the development of the country. Burmese labour has built the many luxury hotels, condos and roads, which has brought prosperity for the Malaysian people.
Burmese refugees, even those with work permits or who have been recognized as refugees by the UNHCR, have been arrested, caned, and tortured by the RELA. The Malaysian NGOs have condemned the actions of RELA and called on the Malaysian government to abolish it because it reportedly commits brutal and violent acts by attacking, assaulting, kicking and beating refugees, including woman and children, with batons and sticks while conducting their search and seizure raids.
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