Detained Chin Refugee Woman visited by UNHCR

21st, March 2010

Kuala Lumpur

by Salai C C

Mounting concern over a Chin refugee woman detained in Lenggeng Camp; Thla Tin Sui was met by the UNHCR and recognized her as refugee under the vulnerable pregnant women when the UNHCR team visited the camp this week.

After one of the biggest online base news agency in the country Malaysiakini interviewed her husband, International Organization and local NGOs called the government to consider about the pregnant women detained and give them opportunity to meet with the UNHCR office base in Kuala Lumpur. She and her husband were arrested during the night-raid at Kajang on 1st August, 2009 while her pregnancy was just one month ago and jailed them to different camp.

According to ex-detainee pregnant women; named Moe Moe Khaing of 30 ages released on Friday said, "I and Thla Tin Sui are pregnant women among female detainees in the camp. I am very thankful to the UNHCR officers for getting me out of the camp but I deeply sympathize for my old inmate Thla Tin Sui who is still in the camp as her health condition is getting worse. Both of her legs have been swollen since she couldn't eat the food properly inside the Camp. She is now of malnutrition and it is awesome to deliver a baby inside the camp.

"Besides Thla Tin Sui, another three of Chin refugee women arrested in somewhere arrived in our Camp last Thursday and when the UNHCR team attempted to meet them, the team weren't allowed by just giving a reason of being new arrival and were told to wait two weeks more for interview of their refugee status by the guards" Moe Moe Khaing added.

"I am much gladded when I heard my wife Thla Tin Sui has been met by the UNHCR team. I also hope that she will be released soon because the UNHCR office is the only one which understands our problem" the husband said.

Some of International Non-governmental Organization and Local NGOs had blamed the Malaysia government due to death in detention centre and neglecting to take care of the pregnant women in detention centre, who are in need of medical treatment and psychological therapy. By contrast, being detained is not of our choices we make, but it is of our current situation we Chin refugees are facing now and no one knows what will be next to our miserable lives.