Putrajaya wants the United Nations refugee agency to send the refugees it has registered in Malaysia to other countries

Putrajaya wants the United Nations refugee agency to send the refugees it has registered in Malaysia to other countries.

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar today said Malaysia was not a signatory of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) convention, but was still harbouring some 150,000 foreigners who carried UNHCR cards.

He said most of them were from Myanmar.

"We must point out that Malaysia is not a signatory of the UNHCR convention," he said during a visit to the Penang police headquarters in George Town. Also present was Penang police chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi.

Wan Junaidi’s comments come in the wake of 18 murders in Penang in which bodies of Myanmar migrants, mostly illegals, were chopped up and the parts discarded at various locations.

He warned the migrants and refugees behind the crimes, who are suspected to be from Myanmar as well, not to break the law in Malaysia.

Nine Myanmar nationals, aged between 20 and 40, were charged at several courts in Penang with the deaths of their countrymen, on Wednesday.

Police are looking for four more suspects linked to this group, and are also searching for a second cell of Myanmar murderers in Penang whose members have also gone into hiding.

“Malaysia has allowed refugees to remain in the country on humanitarian and compassionate grounds,” Wan Junaidi said, adding that UNHCR should not take advantage of this.

He said the refugees may hold UNHCR cards but they were still staying in Malaysia without valid travel documents and can be moved to another country.

He said the Home Ministry had communicated Malaysia’s stand to the UN agency that refugees should be sent to a third country instead of being allowed live in Malaysia where they are illegal.

He added that signatories of the UNHCR convention should be willing to take the refugees. – January 16, 2015.

UNHCR urged to hasten refugee migration process

GEORGE TOWN: Putrajaya has urged the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to expedite the process of refugees in Malaysia migrating to other countries.

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the ministry has raised the matter with the agency repeatedly.

He said he has participated in two discussions on the matter and had urged that the process be within a three-month time frame.

"I have asked them (UNHCR) to manage those who have been classified as refugees to be migrated to other countries," he told a press conference today after a working visit to the Penang police headquarters.

Wan Junaidi also called upon nations who recognise the status of refugees to walk the talk and not "pilih kasih" (favour one over another).

He said those countries, especially in the west, should accept refugees and not pick and choose only the highly-educated or professionally-trained ones.

"Accept those who have been recognised by UNHCR as refugees and not burden Malaysia," he said, pointing out that the country is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention.

Wan Junaidi said this meant such persons are not recognised by Malaysia as refugees and are allowed to enter the country solely on humanitarian grounds.

He said the country now houses some 150,000 refugees, the majority of which are from Myanmar.

"This places a strain on Malaysia," he said and urged those already here not to take advantage of the kindness accorded to them.

Earlier, Wan Junaidi praised the Penang police contingent for having the highest prosecution rate in Malaysia, at 54.29%, which is higher than Interpol's benchmark of 26% and the National Key Result Area (NKRA) of 35%.

He said police here also recorded 56.9% achievement in completing investigations, which places the state contingent in the Malaysian top three.

Wan Junaidi attributed the success to enhanced intelligence-gathering and the heightened capability of the force.

Berjaya reaches out to local Myanmar Chin community

KUALA LUMPUR: There was a time when some Burmese minority ethnic groups were forced to flee to escape harsh living conditions in their country.

Among them are the Chin people, some of whom have found temporary refuge in Malaysia.

Berjaya Corporation Berhad staff today paid a visit to several Chin centres in the city to provide them with assistance.

Led by Berjaya chairman and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Robin Tan, the entourage which included senior management staff, spent about two hours visiting the Alliance of Chin Refugees (ACR) office, Mang Tha Centre and Chin Student Organisation (CSO).

ACR offers free medical treatment, education and skills-training programmes for Chin refugees, while CSO provides education opportunities to refugee children aged four to 17 in five community education centres in the Klang Valley.

Berjaya is currently sponsoring RM90,000 for a year's rental of the five centres and also provided RM20,000 worth of nutritional meal packs for ACR in October last year.

During the visit, Tan presented ang pow to the children and volunteers at ACR and CSO. They were also treated to a Kenny Rogers Roasters lunch.

Berjaya has been providing humanitarian aid locally and internationally to alleviate suffering and improving healthcare, especially during times of crisis and disasters.

Among its contributions are relief efforts for flood victims in the east coast, providing housing to Typhoon Sendong victims in the Philippines and assisting Japanese earthquake and tsunami victims.

Tan called on Malaysian to focus their contributions in providing assistance to those in need, regardless of their background or ethnicity.

"We can make the country better if more people contribute to a good cause. It is not just about money," he told theSun.

"Sometimes, just by contributing your time or your caring attitude, it could already help a lot of people. It is one of the things that we should all (bear in mind)," he added.

ACR chairman Andrew Laitha said although the political situation in Myanmar is improving, problems involving the basic rights of minority groups are still present.

"We are grateful that Malaysia gave us a second chance in restarting the life of the Chin minority," he said, adding that the country is regarded as among the best options for temporary refuge, compared to other countries in the region.

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Sustainably growing your workforce in Myanmar

CSR Asia has been working with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) on the“Invest to Excel – Sustainably growing your workforce in Myanmar” programme. The aim of the programme is to build preparedness activities, such as skills trainings and apprenticeship/employment schemes, for the eventual voluntary return of refugees and migrant workers from Thailand to Myanmar as the country reforms and develops, so that their integration into wider society will be sustainable, and their positive impact on the Myanmar labour market and economy will be maximised. There are currently around 110,000 refugees and anywhere between 2 to 3 million migrants living in Thailand. In January 2015, CSR Asia and IRC invited leading companies operating in Myanmar to attend a meeting in Yangon to discuss ways to invest in returning refugees and migrant workers.

In the meeting, IRC provided an overview of the situation for refugees and migrant workers residing in Thailand, as well as the opportunities and challenges for them to return voluntarily to Myanmar. We also had a representative from Accor Asia Pacific, Mallika Naguran, sharing the company’s experience of employing refugees in Australia. Richard Welford, CSR Asia, facilitated the discussion at the event. The event was an opportunity for companies to learn more about refugees and migrant workers residing in Thailand and raise questions they have on the project.

The key takeaways from the event were:

Labour market in Myanmar: The economy in Myanmar is on track to grow by 7.8% in fiscal year 2014 (ending 31 March 2015). The growth is spurred by rising investments driven by improved business confidence, commodity exports, the rising production of natural gas, buoyant tourism and credit growth. As the country continues to grow, it has been reported that the country will need 32 million workers in 2015. IRC anticipates that skilled refugees & migrants will choose to return home in the next 1-3 years.

Refugees and migrants are skilled labour capable of contributing positively to the workforce: The Accor example in Australia demonstrates the value that refugees can bring to the workforce. The Job Ready Program which is designed to provide training for migrants living in Melbourne and Sydney has seen over 70 candidates successfully employed across a range of hotel operations in 2013. IRC also presented the skills that refugees and migrants already possess and have already been trained in.

Building greater preparedness among refugees and migrants in Thailand – an example: With IRC’s focus on building preparedness activities for return to Myanmar, they have introduced a programme to further strengthen the skills and competencies of refugee and migrant health care workers by providing recognised healthcare training courses from accredited academic institutions. IRC and the School of Global Studies at Thammasat University have worked together to introduce a training which leads to the attainment of a Certificate in Public Health, recognised by the Myanmar Ministry of Health (MOH). In addition, thousands of refugees and migrants have received training by IRC and its partners in business management; accounting & finance; computing; language (English, Thai and Burmese); teaching; health care & public health; hospitality management; and agricultural & construction. It is hoped that through these trainings, returnees’ competitiveness will be enhanced in the open labour market.

Successful examples of supporting resettled refugees: IRC has vast experience working with corporate partners to train and recruit refugees. For example, IRC works closely with the restaurant chain, Chipotle, to identify interested and skilled refugees to work in its 1,000 + restaurants across the United States. Also, IRC's New Roots program is giving hundreds of refugee farmers the tools and trainings they need to grow healthy and affordable food and become self-sufficient. 

Reintegration into Myanmar: Companies raised concerns in regard to the successful reintegration of returnees into the workforce and the Myanmar society. This highlights the importance in ensuring that the returnees receive the necessary preparedness activities prior to their arrival and continuous support during their resettlement. This is an area that IRC expressed confidence in given their experience of resettling refugees which promotes self-reliance and integration. For example, in 2013, IRC helped resettle some 8,700 newly arrived refugees globally.

Support from the government: This is considered to be a key success factor in facilitating the eventual voluntary return of refugees and migrant workers to Myanmar. Foremost, ensuring that the returnees have the legal status to work and companies have the endorsement from Government to support the programme is important. IRC is currently looking to engage the Government on this issue and will provide more updates later on this year.

If any companies are interested in understanding more or participating in this project, please feel free to get in touch with CSR Asia at Iris.Lui@csr-asia.com . 

Pakistani Christian asylum seekers on mercy of NGO,s and Churches in Bangkok

Karachi: February 13, 2015. (PCP) Dr. Nazir S Bhatti, President of Pakistan Christian Congress PCC have expressed grave concern on substandard polices of UNHCR on providing humanitarian aid to refugees of Palestinian, Syrian, Burmese, Egyptian, Libyan, Afghan, Iranian and Muslims from many other countries but completely ignoring any food, shelter and medical assistance to thousands of Pakistani Christian refugees in Thailand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, in a press note issued here today from Central Secretariat of PCC.

More than 9,000 Pakistani Christian children, women, men and senior citizens are facing human issues without any shelter, food and medical assistance by UNHCR while same situation is faced by more than 5,000 Pakistani Christians refugees in Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

Many Pakistani Christian refugees in Thailand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka are seriously ill but UNHCR is denying them any medical assistance which have raised questions on International Red Cross and UHHCR.

International Red Cross and UNHCR provide all sorts of humanitarian assistance to Muslim refugees of many countries but silent on needs of Pakistani Christian refugees in South Asia and South East Asian countries from years.

Dr. Nazir Bhatti said “Pakistani Christians are fleeing from homeland after their genocide by Muslim majority and rising violence against them on pretext to blasphemy and other Islamic Sharia law; they are not economic migrants like Muslims refugees from Muslim states”

The Pakistani Christian refugees are forced to beg to different local non-governmental organizations and Churches in Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and in Hong Kong for shelter, food and medical support which is not sufficient and their children are unable to go to schools.

On one hand government of Pakistan is sending their Christian tools in parliament and Churches to Thailand, Sri Lanka and Malaysia to collect information’s of Pakistani Christian refugees and pressing upon relevant governments to harass them and deport them to Pakistan. 

According to PCP reports, on February 8, 2015, Pakistani Christian refugees gathered in Avana Hotel Bangkok which was organized by The Urdu Church in Hands of God headed by Pastor Papa Thongchai and appealed UNHCR to provide them humanitarian aid according to UN Charter. 

The Pakistani Christian refugees also appealed to USA, Canada, Holland, France, Germany, UK, Italia, Denmark, Sweden and Australia to open their doors for persecuted Pakistani Christian refugees as they provided human rights to Muslim refugees.

PCC Chief urged UNHCR and IRC to provide humanitarian aid to Pakistani Christian refugees in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Hong Kong and expedite hearing of their asylum cases according to timeframe of refugee commission charter.

Nazir Bhatti appreciated support by Farrukh Saif Foundation and other NGO and Churches but appealed other International relief groups to step forward also to provide medical assistance to serious patients and education for children of Pakistani Christian refugees.

China won’t interfere in Myanmar’s domestic affairs

China debates bridging Silk Road blueprint with India’s “Look East” policy in Myanmar

China has assured Myanmar that it will not interfere in its domestic affairs, despite a cross-border surge in the Yunnan province of refugees, who are escaping fighting following a military offensive in northern Myanmar.

Heavy fighting between the Myanmar army and Kokang rebels for control of Laukkai township in the northern Shan state, is causing civilians to flee across the border, Myanmar’s newspaper, The Irrawaddy, quoting a rebel source, is reporting.

Despite the close ethnic ties between the Kokang people and mainland groups, China has made it plain it will not be drawn into the conflict.

The Chinese are also debating whether a win-win partnership for durable peace in Myanmar with India and Thailand is possible, which could reconcile China’s “One Road, One Belt” strategy with New Delhi’s “Look East” policy.

Analysts say that China wants to quickly restore stability in Myanmar, which is central to the fulfillment of the its grand strategy of the developing the 21st century Maritime Silk Road and the Silk Road Economic Belt, which aims to integrate the economies of Asia and Europe, anchored by China.

A strongly worded editorial in Global Times, the newspaper affiliated with the Communist Party of China (CPC), stressed that the Kokang people are not entitled to the rights that Chinese citizens exercise.

“The Kokang are an ethnic group of Myanmar, but as close as they are to Chinese, they are not citizens of the People's Republic of China.”

The write up follows an appeal in an open letter by Kokang leader Pheung Kya-shin for support from Chinese people all over the world, spurring speculation in sections of the western and social media that a situation similar to Crimea has developed along China’s border with Myanmar, following the refugee rush.

The editorial warned that that there “are no grounds for comparing Kokang to Crimea”, and those “who are stuck in such comparisons are either spouting nonsense, or have ulterior motives”. It added that, “China should play a role in fostering peace in northern Myanmar and persuading Myanmar government troops and ethnic armed forces to solve the problem through negotiations”.

Recognising Myanmar’s criticality to the fulfillment of “One Road, One Belt” strategy, another commentary, appearing earlier this month in the Global Times, advocated joint efforts by China, India and Thailand to restore win-win peace in Myanmar. “Some ethnic minorities in India and Thailand are related to those in Myanmar and the two countries used to shelter Myanmar refugees that have suffered from clashes and conflicts. Both share common interests with China in helping Myanmar keep stable,” says the article.

All three countries will benefit from stability in Myanmar, which can “become a hub that connects China, India and Thailand”.

Instead of a clash of interests, Myanmar can become a point of reconciliation between India’s “Look East” policy and China’s southward policy included in the “one Belt and One Road” strategy.

The commentary observed that, “It will be a significant move if China, India and Thailand can jointly work to push forward the ethnic reconciliation in Myanmar”. It added that that “in this process, a new negotiation mechanism can be set up for Asian peace and lay the foundations of the security landscape in the future.”

Delegation Lobby’s British Parliament For Humanitarian Assistance for Refugees on Thai Burma Border

A delegation, advocating on behalf of refugees and displaced people from Burma took their cause to Britian’s Parliament in an attempt to highlight the affects of funding cuts on services to people along the Thai Burma.

“As refugees, we are under tremendous pressure in the camps. There have been many reductions in services including cuts to healthcare, education, shelter, and food. We feel we are being forced to choose between being hungry in the camps or being forced to return and abused in Burma. We desperately want a better choice”, said Naw Ta Mla Saw, Joint Secretary 1 of the Karen Women Organisation.

The Karen Women Organisation’s is a community-based organisation with over 49,000 members that provides its communities with education, health and social welfare. The KWO provides assistance for refugees and IDPs along the border areas.

In a media statement the delegation said it had met and spoke in Parliament with the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Democracy in Burma – “a unique opportunity for British Parliamentarians to hear directly from refugees on the border and organisations working on the ground providing assistance for these refugees.”

In its media statement the delegation said it planned to meet with “the Department for International Development Minister Desmond Swayne MP, officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Parliamentarians, NGOs, the Burmese community and members of the UK media.

Other members of the lobbying delegation included Ms Sally Thompson, executive director of The Border Consortium (TBC) and Luiz Kaypoe from the Karenni Refugee Committee (KnRC).

The delegation pointed out in its media statement that “it is important that refugees are not forgotten.” The delegation stated that the Burma’s peace process is still fragile and that despite ceasefires between the government and the ethnic armed groups conflict is still happening in parts of the country.

“At the moment, shifting donor focus away from the border is perceived by refugees as a form of coercion to return prematurely,” the delegation said in its media release.

A member of the delegation, Luiz Kaypoe, Secretary of the Karenni Refugee Committee said in the media statement.

“Our ethnic people want peace, but the Burmese government use peace to twist and kill our people. Sadly, the international community focuses only on the situation in Rangoon and Nay Pyi Daw, and ignores what’s going on in ethnic areas. We want our ethnic people’s voice to be heard”.

The KnRC is a grassroots organization that provides support to Karenni and other ethnic minority refugees from Burma currently residing in two camps in Thailand.

Ms Sally Thompson, the executive director of The Border Consortium said that it was important that funders stay committed to the refugees and displaced people along the Thai Burma border.

“We want donors to commit to stay with refugees through a sustainable return in the future.”

The TBC provides food, shelter, camp management and livelihoods support for 110,000 refugees in Thailand and 120,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Burma.