365 Myanmars with fake UNHCR cards held in raid

A six-hour joint operation was carried out at the Selayang Wholesale Market at midnight.

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 365 illegal immigrants, mostly Myanmars, were caught by the authorities for having fake United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) cards to stay and work in the country.

They were among 416 illegals nabbed in the six-hour integrated operation called “Op Bersih” led by the Kuala Lumpur police contingent and other security agencies, including the Immigration Department, Registration Department, UNHCR, Rela, Civil Defence Department at the Selayang Wholesale Market, here, that began at midnight.

Kuala Lumpur police CID deputy chief ACP Khairi Ahrasa in a statement said the operation to reduce the number of illegals in the country managed to detain 365 Myanmar nationals, 20 Bangladeshis, 30 Indonesians, seven Indian nationals and six other nationals for illegal entry and using fake UNHCR cards.

He said those detained were aged between 17 and 50 years, and 52 of them were women.

Khairi said all of them were handed over to the Immigration Department for further action, and the operation went smoothly without any untoward incident.

– BERNAMA

Malaysia's unwanted immigrants

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - They cannot legally work, nor send their children to school. They are at risk of exploitation, abuse - even caning. They are the 150,000 asylum seekers and refugees who have fled their homeland for Malaysia.

Harassed by police and pushed into the shadows, there are harrowing tales of months spent in detention with little food and water, the threat of violence ever present.

An Al Jazeera investigation into the mistreatment of refugees in Malaysia has sparked a parliamentary debate and an investigation by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

The documentary - Malaysia’s Unwanted - exposed allegations of abuse of refugees by Malaysian authorities and claims of corruption within the UNHCR.

101 East filmed exclusive footage inside a Malaysian detention centre, where refugees were chained and handcuffed. Refugees said they had been beaten, starved and exploited by authorities.

"The hardest thing I faced in jail was being forced to take my clothes off and then being beaten, slapped and kicked in front of others," one former detainee said.

In Malaysia, refugees have no legal protection because the country has not signed the UN Convention recognising refugees. This means they can be arrested at any time and taken to one of the country's detention centres. Kuala Lumpur has one of the world's largest urban populations of refugees and asylum seekers, with about 150,000.

The documentary also unearthed claims that UNHCR staff were involved in corrupt dealings. An illegal trade in UNHCR registration cards perpetrated by local UNHCR representatives was discovered. UNHCR said it was investigating the allegations.

UNHCR said it had long been concerned about allegations of mistreatment of asylum seekers in immigration detention centres. It said these issues were being raised directly with the Malaysian government in bilateral discussions. UNHCR said closer cooperation between the agency and the Malaysian government was needed.

/Steve Chao/Al Jazeera

Malaysia has refused to sign the UN Convention on Refugees, meaning that those who come here must register with the UNHCR and have their claims of asylum certified before they can join long waiting lists to move to another country.

Documentary prompts report on detention centres

PUTRAJAYA: The Home Ministry is giving departments until February to produce a thorough report concerning refugee detention centres.

This follows a documentary by Al Jazeera, which highlighted the ill-treatment of refugees in the country and raised questions about Malaysia’s attitude towards politically-repressed groups.

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar told theNew Straits Times that the ministry outlined four areas that would be the focus of the report.

The areas include the diet of refugees in detention centres, overcrowding of centres, welfare of children and corruption among officials, which were highlighted in the documentary, Malaysia’s Unwanted.

“I had called for a meeting with the police, the Immigration Department, Prisons Department officials and authorities. The issues of concern will be addressed and research will be done next month at the earliest.

“On the matter of the refugees’ diet, we will consult with the Health Ministry on what should be served, whether it is a balanced diet and sufficient for the number of refugees in each centre.”

Wan Junaidi, however, denied allegations in the documentary that meals were served only twice a day in detention centres.

“As far as I am concerned, they are given five meals a day. However, I am waiting for confirmation on this.”

Wan Junaidi urged for a benchmark, similar to the Prisons Department, to be introduced in detention centres to address overcrowding.

“All 12 detention centres nationwide have vacancies, so we are not overcrowded. At the speed we are sending them (refugees), we can sustain the ones coming in.”

On the welfare of children in the centres, Wan Junaidi said the placement of a child, whether with his parents, depended on the child’s age and the consent of the parents.

“Children between 1 and 3 are placed with their mothers, unless the mother decides otherwise. In that case, the child can be placed under the care of family, friends or even the Welfare Department outside of the centre.

“I would like the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry to work with us. Once I show them the data, they will take over cases like these.

“For children between 3 and 4, the mother will be asked to fill a form stating whether she wants her child to be with her or placed outside the centre with the Welfare Department under the Women’s Ministry.”

“We have to rely on the parents of the child as their consent is needed in any situation,” he said.

The final area that the ministry wanted addressed is corruption among officials. 

“I have informed the Immigration Department director-general that every report must be investigated by the police. I do not want the department to investigate because other agencies, like the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, will be involved.

“The department head and even the minister himself is aware that the Integrity Unit in the Immigration Department needs to be strengthened.

“Again, I am calling on the department to follow the standard operating procedures of the Prisons Department because they are comprehensive and abide by the statutes passed by Parliament on the Prevention of Crime Act 2013.”

Wan Junaidi said he was hopeful refugees would be given alternative jobs. 

“The ministry is discussing with American companies operating locally to hire them. The reason being that, if we hire them in local sectors, we would be seen as recognising their refugee status, not to mention inviting complaints from locals who are seeking employment.”

A ministry source said Malaysia was not a signatory to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees because anyone could then enter the country claiming to be politically persecuted.

“The demand of this convention is that we must give them (refugees) everything they need, employment, for example. By doing so, everybody will claim to be a refugee

Malaysia arrests 20 as probe widens into murders of Myanmar nationals

By Trinna Leong

GEORGE TOWN, Malaysia, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Police in Malaysia have arrested 20 people in a widening investigation into the murder of at least 18 Myanmar nationals in the state of Penang since January.

Twelve Myanmar migrants have confessed to their role in nine of the murders, which have seen bodies dumped - many with their throats slashed - across the state, Penang police chief Abdul Rahim Hanafi told reporters on Thursday.

Police believe two unrelated groups are behind the murders, Abdul Rahim said. All of those arrested are from one group.

The widening net follows the discovery of a "slaughterhouse" last week, where police say at least two victims were believed to have been killed and dismembered.

Media and community groups have speculated that the murders have been perpetrated by Muslims from Myanmar, likely including stateless Rohingya, as payback for religious violence in Myanmar since 2012.

Myanmar community organisations have told Reuters the majority of the victims were Buddhists. Police have not revealed the ethnicity of the victims and have denied any ethnic or religious conflict.

"This is a feud between Myanmar people. It is not a religious conflict. These are only vengeful murders that were brought over here from Myanmar," Abdul Rahim said, without elaborating.

Police have found an additional 10 unidentified bodies of people who appear to have been killed in a similar manner, he said.

Police released the pictures of two men from Myanmar, identified as Mohammad Yahyar Khan and Lokman, who are wanted for questioning.

Buddhist community leaders have accused the police of being slow to act and refusing to acknowledge a religious or ethnic motive.

"It's just talk when the police say 'no Rohingya are involved'," Aye Tun Maung, a leader of Buddhist community group the Arakan Refugee Relief Committee, told Reuters.

"It's Rohingya killing the Rakhine. Some of the dead are also Bamar and Shan," he said, referring to other ethnic groups of Myanmar's majority Buddhist population.

Outside the house where some of the murders allegedly took place, neighbours described the two suspects arrested there, both men, as observant Muslims who appeared to be South Asian.

"They're Muslims. Sometimes I would give them a ride when I went to the mosque," said Fizal Abdullah, 40.

More than 60,000 migrants from Myanmar live in Penang, many of them asylum seekers and refugees employed in factories and on construction sites.

Penang is also a destination for stateless Rohingya, more than 100,000 of whom have fled Myanmar since religious violence in 2012. (Writing by Aubrey Belford in Bangkok; Editing by Simon Webb and Robert Birsel)

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-2869736/Malaysia-arrests-20-probe-widens-murders-Myanmar-nationals.html#ixzz3Mm9dWKam

UNHCR: No refugee status for those who commit crimes

The Market in Arakhine, Burma

PETALING JAYA — The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) insists that asylum-seekers in Malaysia are screened thoroughly before they are granted the status. 

The UNHCR Kuala Lumpur spokesman Yante Ismail said a detailed interview and investigation would be carried out on the applicant to determine a person’s eligibility for refugee status. 

“The asylum (application) process assesses whether a person is in need of protection and also when required, whether their conduct would exclude them from protection,” she said. 

“Because of the thoroughness that is required, and for high profile and complicated cases, a longer time is needed to process an individual.”

Concern over who were getting the refugee status was raised after it was reported last week that 15 out of 17 Myanmar men detained to assist police investigations into the brutal murders in Penang are UNHCR cardholders who have been resident in Malaysia for up to 14 years. 

Yante said refugee protection was not extended to individuals who have committed serious crimes or acts contrary to the purposes of the United Nations. 

“Given the seriousness of these issues, a close and full examination of all facts would need to be undertaken.” 

She said because investigations were on-going, the commission was unable to comment on the arrests of the Myanmar detainees, including those who have UNCHR cards. 

“If there are allegations of crimes committed in Malaysia by refugees, UNHCR expects that they be given full due process under the law like any individual,” she said. 

“All refugees and asylum-seekers must respect the national laws of the countries in which they seek asylum in.”

Yante said UNHCR has contacted the Malaysian authorities to offer its assistance. 

From March until November, the country has seen an influx of about 6,000 refugees from Myanmar.

As of November,139,200 Myanmar refugees were registered with UNHCR, with 150,460 asylum-seekers from other countries in Malaysia. 

The Myanmar refugees comprise of 50,620 Chins, 40,070 Rohingyas, 12,160 Myanmar Muslims, 7,440 Rakhines and Arakaneses, and other ethnicities.

The other 11,260 refugees from other countries include 4,200 Sri Lankans, 1,200 Pakistanis, 1,120 Somalis, 970 Syrians, 860 Iraqis, 580 Iranians, 450 Palestinians, 390 Afghans, 360 Yemenis and 140 Sudanese.

In March, the total number of Myanmar refugees was 133,070 and the overall total of refugees in Malaysia from other countries was 143,435. 

The UNHCR believed there were about 35,000 unregistered asylum-seekers in the country and UNHCR is progressively working to register them.

Stop encouraging Myanmar nationals, Immigration tells UNHCR

PETALING JAYA, Dec 15 — Myanmar citizens flocking to Malaysia are most probably lured by the appeal of refugee status under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

A source from the Immigration Department blamed UNHCR for “pampering” nearly 140,000 Myanmar nationals who had illegally entered the country but were later registered and granted refugee status under its protection.

“With UNHCR doling out refugee cards to these illegal immigrants, it creates a false impression that it is okay for them to endure a short detention before they are released as refugees,” he said.

He said this encouraged illegal immigrants to bring in their spouses, families and friends from their homeland into the country, further flinging open the floodgates.

“To top it off, our country is most conducive to them (Myanmar citizens) because we have ample job opportunities and similar religions or traditions to which they can closely relate,” he said.

“People must understand we are not party to the UN 1951 Refugee Convention and we will do what is necessary to ensure those who enter illegally are detained or deported home.

“However, carrying this out is difficult with the contradicting message sent out by UNHCR.”

According to the source, some 4,300 Myanmar citizens have been detained from numerous immigration raids and operations in the country since January, while there are 5,200 Myanmar illegal immigrants at detention centres awaiting deportation or for UNHCR to intervene.

So far, the source revealed the Immigration Department had already deported 3,126 of those detained this year.

UNHCR reports, on the other hand, showed an influx of 6,000 refugees from March to November, bringing the total of registered refugees from Myanmar to 139,200.

The total number of refugees in Malaysia, including those seeking asylum from other countries, is now at 143,435 according to UNHCR.

Another Immigration official said loose border control in Thailand makes it difficult for the authorities to contain the situation.

“People keep pointing fingers at us but it really takes two hands to clap,” he said.

He said Wisma Putra should hold more bilateral talks with Thailand to tighten border control.

“To my knowledge, Malaysia is second to Thailand in terms of saturation of Myanmar citizens illegally entering the country.”

He said over an estimated stretch of 600km, Malaysian Immigration authorities had set up eight checkpoints which were sufficient to track illegal entry into the country.

However, he was puzzled how they had managed to travel across Thailand without getting caught.

“Malaysia shares its borders with Thailand and not Myanmar, so how did they evade the immigration officers there in the first place?”

- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com

Honoring a Burmese refugee's life cut short

Albany

http://www.timesunion.com

It wasn't just Htee Kin Paw's struggle with alcohol or homelessness that made Jill Peckenpaugh want to help. It was the Burmese refugee's smile and that of her 6-year-old daughter.

"When she wasn't suffering from medical and alcohol challenges ... she was a bright, cheery girl," said Peckenpaugh, director of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants' Albany field office.

The help from Peckenpaugh's agency and dozens of others, and that of community members, wasn't enough. Paw died on Nov. 30, a month short of her 24th birthday. Her body was found by another homeless person at the World War II Memorial near the State Museum, State Police said.

An Albany County coroner's autopsy determined she died of chronic liver disease.

Memorial services for Paw will take place at 4 p.m. Wednesday at Meyers Funeral Homein Delmar.

"There are so many people that helped her that had hoped for a better life for her and kept trying to make that possible," Peckenpaugh said. "They're wanting to honor her short life."

Paw was born in Myanmar and lived much of her life in a refugee camp in Thailand. At the age of 9, she had her first alcoholic drink, she told Peckenpaugh.

"It's not a common practice, but sometimes in refugee camps children are given alcohol," Peckenpaugh said.

Paw, her husband and their daughter came to Albany a little more than a year ago.

They separated, and her husband, who lives in Rensselaer, had custody of their daughter, Peckenpaugh said.

When Paw wasn't under the influence of alcohol, she was very lively, Peckenpaugh said. "She loved to dress up fashionwise and smile and play."

Paw would take secondhand clothing and make outfits out of them, she said.

But Paw's alcoholism and medical issues prevailed.

She was in and out of shelters, and her addiction burned many bridges, Peckenpaugh said. "Chronic addiction does that."

Paw was often accompanied by a man who was like an older brother to her, she said. This, along with the alcohol, kept Paw from staying in shelters, which are not co-ed.

"I can't think of any case where more social service agencies helped," Peckenpaugh said. These included the Albany and Rensselaer departments of Social Services, Albany Medical Center, the police, Equinox, the Homeless Action Committee and the Buddhist and Karen communities. "Many individuals and many social service agencies really went the extra mile for her and despite our best efforts ... some people just need more help."

Still, Peckenpaugh wishes she could have done more to help.

"I can't believe that I couldn't get her inpatient alcohol care and get her to turn things around so she was the happy smiling wonderful gal that we all know she was," Peckenpaugh said.

kclukey@timesunion.com • 518-454-5467 • @KClukey_TU

How to help

Donations are being accepted to help refugees in the Capital Region

Monetary donations can be set to the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants at 991 Broadway Suite 223, Albany, NY 12204, or call 459-1790.

USCRI also is looking for blankets and outerwear for winter.

For more information go to www.refugees.org.

Immigration Department: Resettlement delays cause of vice among Myanmar refugees

Some of the 90 illegal immigrants from Myanmar detained while attempting to enter the country near Bukit Batu Putih. — Bernama pic

PETALING JAYA, Dec 16 — The Immigration Department says vice activities among Myanmar refugees are mainly the result of delays by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to resettle them in third countries.

Its deputy director-general, Datuk Sakib Kusmi, said 90 per cent of almost 150,000 Myanmar refugees had “lingered” here for up to four years and were awaiting resettlement but to no avail. 

“UNHCR is supposed to provide them with shelter and jobs upon conferring the refugee status but they have not been doing this and the refugees are left to fend for themselves while waiting to be sent to third countries,” he said. 

“I cannot blame them (Myanmar refugees) for trying to make a living any way they can. Sometimes they even get involved in vice activities just to make ends meet.”

Sakib said the situation was frustrating as the department was not able to take action against refugees who were working illegally in the country as they were “protected” by UNHCR. 

“We send those who we detain to UNHCR so they can be placed in special shelters where they are supposed to be provided with jobs,” he said.

“However, those with refugee cards are released and they go back to their routine and it becomes a vicious cycle.

“It is frustrating as they are protected by UNHCR and we are not able to take any action to reduce the number of illegal immigrants in the country.” 

In a front page report in Malay Mail yesterday, an Immigration Department spokesman blamed UNHCR for “pampering” Myanmar citizens by granting them refugee status once they reach Malaysia.

The source said more than 140,000 Myanmar nationals had entered the country illegally but were later granted refugee status. 

Police confirmed recently that 15 of the 20 suspects detained for alleged involvement in a series of killings in Penang were UNHCR card-holders.

The authorities had also said they were looking for two other Myanmar refugees to facilitate investigations into the killings on more than 18 Myanmar nationals in the state. 

On whether the Immigration Department would consider allowing work permits for refugees here, Sakib said it was not for them to decide as it fell under the purview of the National Security Council under the Prime Minister’s Department.

“We can only propose to the council first, but looking at the situation, it is not recommended as it will only encourage an influx of illegal immigrants here,” he said.

“This is definitely against our mandate, which is why the UNHCR needs to step up and resettle those granted refugee cards.”

Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the ministry was discussing with the Myanmar government on how they can come up with a system to check the entry of Myanmar citizens with criminal background.

- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com

UNHCR report: Straits of Malacca preferred route for refugees’ illegal travel

The UNHCR said refugees paid smugglers for such illegal trips on boats typically having capacities of five to 55 people. — Reuters file picKUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 — The Straits of Malacca between Malaysia and Indonesia has emerged as the favoured new pathway for refugees seeking to be illegally smuggled out of their countries, The Jakarta Post reported.

In the Indonesian paper’s report yesterday, it cited findings by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) claiming that refugees either use the route to get to Australia or to reach Indonesia and Malaysia.

“Such a journey [via Malacca] has consisted of day-long trips on boats and traverses one of two routes, from Klang, Malaysia to Medan, Indonesia, and from Johor Baru, Malaysia, to Batam or Tanjung Pinang, Indonesia,” UNHCR was quoted saying in the report.

The UNHCR also found that refugees paid smugglers for such illegal trips on boats typically having capacities of five to 55 people.

For adult refugees, the typical sum for travel to Indonesia is between US$300 (RM1,050) and US$700 (RM2,450), while a trip to Australia costs between US$1,500 (RM5,240) and US$3,000 (RM10,480).

The price is slashed by half for children, while family packages are also available, The Jakarta Post reported.

The UNHCR reportedly said Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims have traditionally used either the Bay of Bengal or the Andaman Sea routes, but have opted for the Straits of Malacca as it is deemed safer.

Many Rohingya refugees attempt to reach Australia through boats that depart from Indonesia, but often have to renew their attempts when they are blocked by Australia or experience weather difficulties and engine failures, the Indonesian paper said.

The Jakarta Post also said that many Indonesian migrant workers illegally seeking employment in Malaysia similarly use the Straits of Malacca.

- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com

UNHCR rejects claims it was ‘slow to act’ in resettlement of refugees

PETALING JAYA, Dec 17 — The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has refuted claims by the Immigration Department it has been slow to resettle refugees to third countries. 

UNHCR spokesman Richard Towle said more than 100,000 refugees had been resettled out of Malaysia to third countries, including Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic and the United States since 2005. 

He said the resettlement process was becoming increasingly difficult as priority was given to refugees from the Middle East, and the refugee situation cannot be resolved through resettlement alone.

“Resettlement is a diminishing option for most refugees because of global priorities such as the rough political climate in the Middle East,” he said. 

“Host countries including Malaysia must find better ways in protecting those seeking asylum here.”

On allegations that no proper screening was carried out by the agency before according refugee status to illegal immigrants, especially from Myanmar, Towle said the government must accord more rights to refugees to address concerns on security and law and order in the country.

“We must accord them better protection to remove them for the clutches of exploitation and criminality and provide humanitarian protection to those in need,” he said.

As Malaysia is not party to the United Nations 1951 Refugee Convention, Towle said, it was a huge disadvantage for refugees living here without legal status as they were not able to work legally, had no access to education and were constantly at risk of arrest, detention, and deportation under immigration laws.

On whether UNHCR was providing special shelter and jobs for refugees here, he said it worked closely with non-governmental organisations and with the refugee communities to provide them with basic access to education, welfare assistance, healthcare support and self-reliance opportunities under their mandate.

“Refugees in Malaysia find their own coping mechanisms to support themselves and survive, including finding accommodation and ways to earn a living,” he said. 

Asked if UNHCR was continuously monitoring the whereabouts of refugees in the country, Towle said it faced extreme challenges because of the lack of resources. 

“With limited resources, managing a population of 150,000 refugees who live in an urban environment is extremely challenging,” he said.

- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com

Refugees in Malaysia Face Abuse and Stigma, UN Official Says

Rohingya Muslim children from Myanmar, who now live in Malaysia, are seen sleeping in class at a School of Rohingya in Kuala Lumpur. Photo by Sammy Foo, Copyright @Demotix (1/31/2013)

In Southeast Asia, nations often deal with the influx of refugees from inside and outside the region. Malaysia is a hub and transit point for many refugees seeking sanctuary after escaping from neighboring communities plagued by conflict and oppression.

However, the government of Malaysia does not recognize refugees and asylum-seekers who are classified as “illegal immigrants”, and they are denied access to basic services provided by the state. Furthermore, under Article 6 of the Immigration Act, people without valid entry documentation are subjected to the full brunt of the law as they are given an “imprisonment term not exceeding five years and shall also be liable to whipping of not more than six strokes.”

According to the fact sheet of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are about 35,000 unregistered asylum-seekers as well as 143,435 refugees and asylum-seekers registered with their office in Malaysia as of end March 2014.

The poor state of refugees in the country was recently featured in an Al Jazeerareport. During the interview, UNHCR Malaysia representative Richard Towle talked about the arbitrary arrests conducted by state forces, exploitation of refugees, corruption, neglect of children's rights and lack of resources to effectively assist the growing refugee community in Malaysia. He added:

Refugees are treated as illegal migrants, and illegal migrants are at risk of all forms of vulnerability in society. They are liable to be arrested and detained and live in a grey or dark zone of society where there is a high degree of exploitation or abuse.

The deputy home minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar denounced the interview with UNHCR and defended the government: 

Even though we are not a signatory to the convention of refugees, they are being treated with dignity, they are given access to medical treatment and they are allowed visits.

A member of Malaysia's National Legislature, MP Ong Kian Ming, expressed hisdisagreement with the home minister:

The replies of the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaffar in Parliament on Tuesday showed that he is not aware of the seriousness of the accusations revealed in an Al Jazeera programme even though he was interviewed in the programme. In particular, his replies show that he is totally ignorant of the articles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) of which Malaysia is a signatory.

But outspoken youth chief of political party Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia, Tan Keng Liang, held contrary views from the deputy home minister and the member of parliament:




Tan Keng Liang @tankengliangFollow


Our country respect human rights. But if the refugee still complain their treatment, then don't come. We don't want u people in Malaysia
5:13 AM - 26 Nov 2014