Asylum Seekers Caned in Detention Depots as the Govt’s 6P Programme Extends Ahead

Kuala Lumpur (VOCR):  The Putrajaya government has extended the biometric system registration for the illegal migrants till April 10 despite making a public announcement in The Star news on the 11^th and 15^th February 2012 about the “Big Sweep” targeting against illegal migrants working in the country including asylum seekers and refugees. (Refugees are recognized by the office of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)).

So far, it is learnt that the UNHCR office is progressive in talks with the government on this critical issue which creates confusion and much fear for possible deportation among refugee communities after this round of biometric registration requires finger-printing.

Recently, up to nearly one thousand illegal migrants and asylum seekers, according to the credible sources, registered in this biometric registration have been deported to their home country.  The VOCR believes some of Myanmar ethnic refugees are also included.

Just before the public announcement was made, unprecedented small-scale round-ups were simultaneously exercised which resulted in dozens of Chin asylum seekers arrested and are currently being detained in various immigration depots.  Once being sent to immigration depots, it is uncertain how long they will be suffering from bitter detention experiences.  

Chin asylum seekers, Zing Hup Lian, Cung Cheng Thawng, Tial Cham, who were arrested on 5^th December, 2011 while on the way back home from their workplace at Bukit Bintang, have been caned by the immigration authority in Kajang immigration depot and transferred again to Lenggeng immigration camp which is the most used depot for Chin refugees. Their fellow villagers could manage to meet them in detainment on 5^th Feb with the prison authority’s permission. Here they discovered the guise of the detention management is extremely poor.

The caning was believed to be exercised against these genuine asylum seekers on the ground that they are illegal entrants and lack of valid documents.  It is highly speculated that more of the refugee population will be facing this indiscriminate action, when they need international protection because they escaped from severe domestic persecutions committed by the Burmese Military Regime.

In a clear preview of things to come, the situation for refugees and asylum seekers is likely to be getting worse day after day according to recent news report.

At worst scenario, the RELA (People Volunteer Corps), who are mostly used in the crackdowns, have an extensive power in raiding the illegals, asylum seekers, and refugees.

It is well noted that Malaysia does not adopt key international instruments that protect the rights of migrants as the country is not a signatory of the 1951 United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, or the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees.  Refugee status does not exist in Malaysian law according to SUARAM, the human rights watchdog for Malaysia. Refugees are thus treated as illegal migrants except in some cases they are pardoned because refugees are recognized by the office of UNHCR which means UNHCR document holders may enjoy de facto protection at the national level (FIDH-SUARAM 2008, 9).

On the issue regarding the thoughts of the international community presuming refugees and asylum seekers can return to their mother country, the Chin communities with one voice say that it is obviously impossible to return home unless the political settlement is guaranteed in Myanmar.

Reporting by Simon