By Lee Seung-joon
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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia ― Myanmar children, shedding their identities as refugees, ran around freely without any worries for an afternoon despite remaining vulnerable to deportation.
Ignoring the poor living conditions, they were far from depressed. Twenty-eight excited children, aged 7 to 12, with big smiles they began to jump around as soon as they arrived at the sports center on Nov. 12.
Thawng Sian Khampi, principal of the Zomi Education Center, said that this type of outdoor event doesn’t happen often enough for them.
“The children spend most of their time inside because going out is risky," said Khampi, also a Zomi refugee.
According to the United Nations’ refugee agency, an estimated 78,000 illegal immigrants in Malaysia are from Myanmar. Of them, about 10,000 belong to Zomi, a combination of “Zo,” an ethnic group, and “mi” meaning people. They fled military-ruled, impoverished Myanmar to Malaysia through Thai jungles seeking a better life or political asylum.
The children carry refugee certificates issued by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). However, the authorized document is not considered legitimate because Malaysia is not a signatory of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.
"The difficult situation facing us in Malaysia remains unchanged. Even refugee certificates don’t make a difference. We don’t have any protection from the Malay government," said Khampi. He added that refugees can be deported for immigration offences and they don’t receive any medical treatment such as in the case of traffic accidents.
Children and a group of young men from 14 countries, who are participating in the Inter-Civilization Youth Engagement Program offered by the International Movement for a Just World (JUST), did not speak the same language as the children from Myanmar, but a few soccer balls were all they needed to spend a fun time on the rooftop of a shopping center in Petaling Jaya on the northwestern outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.
When asked if he was enjoying himself, nine-year-old Lianpi nodded his head.
“The children are showing such positive energy that we all are having an exhilarating time. I hope they will remember this fun time," said Naida Shamsirbahri from Singapore. She was one of 38 volunteers from JUST.
JUST, a non-governmental organization headquartered in Petaling Jaya, Selangor Province, aims to promote global awareness and correct the injustice in the world
Khampi, concurrently vice president of the Zomi Association of Malaysia, added that the education center was established in 2007 under an initiative of the association as children were not allowed to go to public schools. “The community could not just wait for Malaysia to join the 1951 convention,” he said.
The absence of basic education violates their rights and proves to be a lifelong handicap for the future of these children, said Khampi. “Zomi adults and a small number of volunteers take every role in the center such as teachers, cooks and nurses. As a result, we need more volunteers.”
There are about 1,000 Zomis under the age of 18 in Malaysia, and the number is increasing, according to Khampi.
The writer is a Korea Times intern.
Ignoring the poor living conditions, they were far from depressed. Twenty-eight excited children, aged 7 to 12, with big smiles they began to jump around as soon as they arrived at the sports center on Nov. 12.
Thawng Sian Khampi, principal of the Zomi Education Center, said that this type of outdoor event doesn’t happen often enough for them.
“The children spend most of their time inside because going out is risky," said Khampi, also a Zomi refugee.
According to the United Nations’ refugee agency, an estimated 78,000 illegal immigrants in Malaysia are from Myanmar. Of them, about 10,000 belong to Zomi, a combination of “Zo,” an ethnic group, and “mi” meaning people. They fled military-ruled, impoverished Myanmar to Malaysia through Thai jungles seeking a better life or political asylum.
The children carry refugee certificates issued by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). However, the authorized document is not considered legitimate because Malaysia is not a signatory of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.
"The difficult situation facing us in Malaysia remains unchanged. Even refugee certificates don’t make a difference. We don’t have any protection from the Malay government," said Khampi. He added that refugees can be deported for immigration offences and they don’t receive any medical treatment such as in the case of traffic accidents.
Children and a group of young men from 14 countries, who are participating in the Inter-Civilization Youth Engagement Program offered by the International Movement for a Just World (JUST), did not speak the same language as the children from Myanmar, but a few soccer balls were all they needed to spend a fun time on the rooftop of a shopping center in Petaling Jaya on the northwestern outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.
When asked if he was enjoying himself, nine-year-old Lianpi nodded his head.
“The children are showing such positive energy that we all are having an exhilarating time. I hope they will remember this fun time," said Naida Shamsirbahri from Singapore. She was one of 38 volunteers from JUST.
JUST, a non-governmental organization headquartered in Petaling Jaya, Selangor Province, aims to promote global awareness and correct the injustice in the world
Khampi, concurrently vice president of the Zomi Association of Malaysia, added that the education center was established in 2007 under an initiative of the association as children were not allowed to go to public schools. “The community could not just wait for Malaysia to join the 1951 convention,” he said.
The absence of basic education violates their rights and proves to be a lifelong handicap for the future of these children, said Khampi. “Zomi adults and a small number of volunteers take every role in the center such as teachers, cooks and nurses. As a result, we need more volunteers.”
There are about 1,000 Zomis under the age of 18 in Malaysia, and the number is increasing, according to Khampi.
The writer is a Korea Times intern.
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