Saturday, March 6, 2010

Malaysia arrests Burmese refugees including UN card holders

Burmese refugees in Malaysia are being increasingly rounded up after the new government in Malaysia came to power.  Even refugees holding United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Identity cards are not being spared, a Burmese refugee in Malaysia said.

The arrests were made following raids in the Burmese refugee offices in Malaysia.  Karen and Chin refugee offices were included in the raids.  Many office bearers have gone into hiding.

Read More"The police came and arrested about 20 refugees in my apartment and also went to raid the office of the Burmese refugees," said a Kachin refugee. "This week, they came to make the arrest in three cars. There were over hundreds of arrests including six Kachin refugees," he added.

According to refugees in Malaysia, over the past year, even refugees with UNHCR cards were arrested.  They were released with the UN helping to take them out of jail.  Now it is different with the police arresting the refugees for living illegally in Malaysia.

"Most Kachin people came to Malaysia on an UN refugee programme.  If we get arrested even after that what can we expect from the UN?  There are many problems especially for the women," said another Kachin refugee.

In Malaysia, officially there are over 2,000 Kachin refugees.  Others, not listed officially account for another 2,000.  Even though the UN is not accepting new refugees, Kachins continue to come to Malaysia.

4 comments:

  1. Can a myanmar refugee work as odd jobs in Malaysia. Otherwise how are they going to survive?

    ReplyDelete
  2. 2.Ven. Phra Piya Thammo,

    Rumah Pangsa

    Blk A-7-9- Jln Padang Tembak,

    11400 Pulau Pinang,

    Malaysia


    Dear Devotees,


    Before I commence of my letter-writing toward. All of you, I would like to inform all of you that I am not satisfy with the lawyer, Dato YIP KUM FOOK due to his bad inspirit impressions because he sent an inspector to come to our Buddhist Temple to arrest me without any good reason, moreover, the lawyer, YIP KUM FOOK is not satisfy with Chief monk.


    When the Chief monk had me to go to his Temple already and he went away and left me alone to take care until Chief monk come back to the Temple first and he also told me not to leave the Temple if any committees or the chairman want to chase me out, you don’t leave the Temple at all understand? Then I said, alright? To the chief monk! On the second Day, YIP KUM FOOK came to our Temple and talk to me. He tired to make some inquiry from me and he asked me, where I come from? I told him that I came from Penang.


    Then, I told to the lawyer (YIP KUM FOOK) that the chief monk came to Penang and fetch me and invited me to accompany him to go to his temple in K.L. I am not aware that YIP KUM FOOK is not in a good terms with the chief monk, chief monk already in this way, YIP KUM FOOK try to create trouble with me unnecessary. That is why, the lawyer want to chase me out of the Temple. Then I asked the lawyer, why you want to chase me out of the temple? Moreover, the Temple is not belonging to you, UNDERSATAND? Then, I asked him, who are you? I don’t know you at all, you have no right to chase me or control me at all, UNDERSTAND? You are just like a layman only. Do you know the regulations that any the chairman or committee cannot control the monks and the Nuns at all, also UNDERSTAND?


    I scolded him like that. Then the lawyer (YIP KUM FOOK) is not satisfy with me and he told me that he will called the police to come to the Temple and arrest me. I told him to go ahead and called the police to come and arrest me. I won’t run away, I said to him like that. I have done nothing wrong toward you, why you want to arrest me? He said, he doesn’t like me to stay here. I asked him, why? Again. After this he got very angry with me, then he phoned up to the police and the police came to the Temple and told me to leave the Temple.


    I told to the inspector of the again, 1 am sorry, I won’t leave the Temple because the chief monk had instructed me not to leave the Temple without his consent, UNDERSTAND? Then the inspector told me to leave, again. I told him I cannot leave the Temple because the Chief Monk hasn’t come back yet. This time, the inspector got very angry with me and he took out his handcuff and try to threaten me, then I immediately show off my hands for him to lock me up but he scare, then again, the inspector told me leave the Temple again but I still don’t want to leave the Temple.


    Then I phoned up to the chief monk again and I told him that the inspector insisted want to arrest me, you better come back to settle the case for me. After this incident, Chief Monk came back to the Temple and take me to go to another temple and stay their. That’s all about this incidents! Last of all, I would like to inform all of you, that no committees or the chairman can control all the monks and Nuns at all also UNDERSTAND? “They are higher than the King,” also! So how can the laymen, the committees and the chairman to control them: – EVEN THE KING ALSO RESPECTED THE MONKS AND NUNS. Why the chairman doesn’t respect the monks and nuns? They will carry the sins later on, UNDERSTAND?


    Yours in Dhamma


    Ven. Phra Piya Thammo

    Penang, Malaysia

    Tel: 04-48272710

    ReplyDelete
  3. We always recieved news messages from Myanmar people, they are complainted about committees of temple and please see at below.

    Thanks

    Dear Sir and Madam,

    We are Myanmar group in Malaysia; we lived in Malaysia over decade and always went to one of temple in Taman Desa Jaya, Kepong, Kuala Lumpur and we were very sad and regreting with the committees of temple because they are using our monks in wrong conception of Buddhist teaching or Buddhist rules. We came to temple to help our monks and respected of our religion.

    That temple is president of name:Yip Kum Fook, that our monks said and he is invited our monks from Myanmar to in charge of that temple but without pay anything to our monks, added he and his not respecting of our monks and sometime he ordered of his people to collected item such as paper, mineral water etc. without inform any words to our monks. In our religious believed we can’t take anything of holy place, if we done we are sin.

    In pervious, our monk said the committees always asked money from him, when our monks gave RM20,000.00 in cash on 2001 to the committees, then committees keep silent, later committees make problem with our monk again and cancelled of our monk Visa permit to stayed in Malaysia, then our monks( Sadayaw Nandiya) go to Australia and our monk not come that temple at long time. “Yip Kom Fook gave our monk notebook computer for to cover of that amount of money our monk said”

    Many local people around temple said, now no more people come to this temple because committees is always make problem and we are heard from local people said: Yip Kum Fook ordered of his people to put fire of Hindu temple at Taman Daya, Kepong because he needed that place to make his business about many years ago. “Everybody known what he done for Hindu temple at Taman Daya, Kepong”

    Last time also he invited police to arrest the monks at holy place(temple) and locked the temple without afraid and shameful of people because he believed committee is big and has more authority, also his son always say to people: this temple is belonging of his father. “This temple donated from public, we are work hard for this temple”

    This temple the committees always changed the monks, now they change the new monk to in charge of temple, this new monk also complaint the bad things of committees because committees also wait for donation box only, they without help anything to our monks. And committees controlled of our monks not to talk more or complaint more, our monks lived there as slaver and afraid of committees members.

    In new building where remaining of Buddha statue marble; we have renovation of Buddha statue because that Buddha statue is put very low, we lift to highest the committees don’t like and unhappy. In our country, anyone be able to come temple to worship the Buddha but in Malaysia is different temple controlling by committees.

    We hope everyone preserve of Buddhist teachings, and please safety of our monks, not see only money as this of temple. When we asked some of our people ( Myanmar) and local people, the committees are very low of idea because is very narrow mind and without education of religions. And committees will not disturbing of our monks, monks are like our father to take care of Buddhism and temple is like our place of resolving of our problem.

    Recently, our monk(Sadayaw Ashin Indaka original from Madalay, Myanmar) has been staying in this temple also unhappy because the committees are not pay anythings to him, he is working in hardly to advise people and we also unhappy and very sad when heard the bad news from our monks. Sometime the committees people came and shouting in the temple without have any reason and done what they need to do, our monk said, the committees of this temple don’t have Buddhist teachings in their mind, may be next time Buddhist can destroy.

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  4. In according to malaysia unhcr office most of arakanese refugee still banned to get unhcr mobile registration by Mr,Mikhael. Specialy for ARRC Kl office. According to know that he is working for refugee but he is abusing the right, and he is still unweilling to give mobile registration ARRC kl office. For What? What is the reason? About 500 arakanese refugee still didnt get mobile registration. Other ethnic office get there opportunity as well as but we ARRC kl office is banned from registration at Kualalumpur area. We will hope from unhcr office as soon as we can get the registration from unhcr office.

    ReplyDelete