Wednesday, November 4, 2009

An experience of Chin Lady in Lenggen Detention Centre

Source : VOCR
4th November, 2009
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

A female chin refugee known as Ms. Van Hnem Par aged (19) was released on yesterday from Lenggeng camp. On 23rd October 2009, she was arrested at Kotaraya by Immigration where she was working and  detained for four days in Demansara Immigration Headquarter.

While she was detaining at immigration headquarter, she appeared to court on 28.10.2009. In the court, the lawyer asked her whether she had UNHCR card. As she mentioned she has UNHCR card, the magistrate let her inform her mother to bring her UNHCR card.

Even though her UNHCR card was given to immigration on the same day, she was not released. The next day, she was transferred to Lenggeng detention camp and was detained there for six days. In detention centre, Ms. Hnem Te said that the camp authority forced them to sit for two hours in a day with kneeling down and hand folded.

Ms. Hnem Te also indicated in the interview “eight months Chin pregnant woman who has been already recognized refugee and hold UNHCR card also has been detaining in the camp. I feel so sympathy when I see her. In fact, she is going to deliver a baby in the camp if the UNHCR team could not help her. This is the first experience for me” she said.

When VOCR asked regarding whether Chin detainees in the camp could make a phone call, she said that not only Chin detainees but also all Burmese detainees were forbidden to buy phone credit card to call their family or their own community.

A Mon Refugee card holder, also was released with Ms. Hnem Te from the camp.

Currently, Lenggeng camp is under pressure of internationally and domestically because of corruption and extorting money from detainees.

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