Chin refugee detainee died in custody

A chin refugee formally known as Mr. Ngo Za Pau (45) from Thuklai village, Teddim Township, died at KLIA immigration camp in Malaysia on 9th December 2009. He arrived to Malaysia in 2004 and was arrested by the police on the unknown date and was detained in Seminyih camp.

He was seriously sick and admitted to the hospital by the camp authority because his condition become worse and was dying. Some community workers believed that the camp authority admitted him to the hospital when he was dying because they feared that he might die inside the custody. His body has been still keeping in Putra Jaya hospital for further investigation.

He had already registered with United Nation High Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR) since 2004 and had been issued the card in the same year. He was also engaged to resettle to United State and had passed all interviews which were set up by the UNHCR office for refugees.

Even though he had UNHCR card the police arrested him at Pudu car parking on his way back from workplace and spontaneously taken him to Seminyih camp. But no information was given to his relatives and refugee community in Malaysia. Eventually, he was transferred to KLIA camp because the camp authorities and Burmese detainees riot at seminyih camp in July, 2009.

According to his cousin brother, “Mr. Ngo Za Pau was not allowed to contact me within two weeks since he was under arrest. That time, we think that he had already lost to come back home. After two weeks, he was allowed to contact us but he had already been accused of undocumented and illegal entrance to the country by immigration”.

According to the law quotation brochure released by Bar Council, every arrestee has a right to inform one’s relative or one’s relevant community within fourteen days before they appear to court.

As the camp authority in KLIA denied to access medical team to the camp, two of Chin refugees and other detainees had passed away in the camp. The camp analyzers who often visited to the camp said that the detention camp condition is getting worse but harassment made by the authority is increasing day by day. The local NGOs also released a statement regarding the camp condition that says, “Denying to access healthcare inside the camp and custody is violation to life”.

In other hand, all foreign prisoners in Seremban custody are not allowed to use their mother-tongue except Bahasa and English to contact their relatives and community.