UN concerned over refugees clampdown

‘Decisions by certain countries can undermine integrity of international refugee protectionist regime’

UNITED NATIONS: Responding to the ongoing clampdown in the US and other countries over the admission of foreign refugees fleeing persecution, death and displacement, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern on Tuesday over decisions taken around the world that can undermine the integrity of the international refugee protectionist regime.

“Refugees fleeing conflict and persecution are finding more and more borders

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closed and increasingly restricted access to the protection they need and are entitled to receive, according to international refugee law,” the UN chief said in a statement.

Guterres, who is returning to New York from a visit to Ethiopia, cited in the statement released by his office before his arrival, the case of the African country which has become the largest refugee hosting nation in Africa, and said that

Ethiopia “for decades has been keeping its borders open to hundreds of thousands of refugees from its neighbours, many times in dramatic security situations”.

While emphasising that countries have the right and the obligation to responsibly manage their borders to avoid infiltration by members of terrorist organisations, Guterres observed that this could not be based on any form of discrimination related to religion, ethnicity or nationality, noting that doing so “is against the fundamental principles and values on which our societies are based”.

Guterres also cautioned that such attempts could “trigger widespread anxiety and anger that may facilitate the propaganda of the very terrorist organisations “we all want to fight against” and that “blind measures, not based on solid intelligence, tend to be ineffective as they risk being

bypassed by what are today sophisticated global terrorist movements”.

During a routine press briefing at the UN headquarters in New York, spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated that Guterres was on his way back to New York from the African Union Summit in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, and he had had the opportunity to express his disagreement with the United States Executive Order on refugees.

Guterres’ statement follows President Donald Trump’s signing last Friday of an Executive Order which, among other things, suspended the US refugee programme for 120 days and also bars entry of refugees from seven – mostly Muslim – countries namely Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan,

Syria and Yemen until further notice.

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Guterres’ remarks are also seen as lending weight to the “deep concern” already expressed by the UN Refugee Agency over the uncertainty facing thousands of refugees in the resettlement process in the United States after the country announced it was suspending refugee programmes last week.

The office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a statement that more than 800 refugees were set to make America their new home this week alone, but were instead blocked from travelling to the US. — Bernama

Malaysia gives work permits to 300 Muslim Rohingyas

PUTRAJAYA: New hope has dawned for 300 Rohingya refugees in the country.

They can now work legally in the plantation and manufacturing sector from next month.

They have been selected to be part of a pilot project that allows the Rohingya, who are United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) card holders, to work in Malaysia.

“This first batch of 300 will be placed in selected companies in order to equip them with skills and a source of income before they are relocated to another country,” Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said in a statement.

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He said those selected would still have to pass security and health screenings first.

Yesterday, Dr Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Home Minister, chaired a high-level committee meeting on UNHCR-related issues at his office here.

He said the National Security Council (NSC) was currently looking to upgrade the NSC Order No. 23.

The order enhances the management of UNHCR card holders in Malaysia.

“The order needs to keep up with the current developments, including the irregular movement of migrants in South-East Asia,” he said.

NSC Order No. 23 is related to the management of illegal immigrants in Malaysia, and includes measures on how to reduce their numbers.

Dr Ahmad Zahid said the Government also formed a joint task force that consisted of the UNHCR and six ministries, to deal with the matter of fake UNHCR card holders.

“This (joint task force) will help ensure the authenticity of any UNHCR card holders; whether these people are truly those who are authorised,” he said.

The statement said there were a total of 149,474 documented UNHCR card holders from 62 countries in Malaysia.

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At least 133,517 or 89% are from Myanmar, with more than 55,000 of them of Rohingya ethnicity.

Read more at http://www.thestar.com.my

UNHCR welcomes Thailand’s approval of framework for refugee screening mechanism

The UN Refugee Agency Monday expressed a warm welcome for the Thai Government’s recent approval of a framework to enhance the identification and protection of refugees.


Last Tuesday, the Cabinet approved in principle a proposal to finalise and implement a screening mechanism for undocumented immigrants and refugees.

Following the approval, a deputy government spokesman the process will be led by the Immigration Bureau of the Royal Thai Police, working with a newly-created inter-ministerial committee chaired by the Prime Minister or his deputy.

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Together they will build on an existing draft by the Council of State and finalize a detailed draft Regulation to be presented for approval by the Cabinet. He added that this would be done in collaboration and cooperation with foreign governments or foreign government agencies, international organizations and relevant non-governmental organizations.

UNHCR said in a press statement Monday that it has long been advocating for such a screening mechanism in a country that has hosted more than 1 million refugees over the years without a comprehensive legal framework. Under Thailand’s current Immigration Act, urban refugees and asylum-seekers can be considered “illegal aliens” and are subject to arrest and detention if they do not have valid documentation.

“This Cabinet action represents an important and concrete step towards creating an appropriate regulatory framework for refugee management and protection in Thailand,” the statement quoted Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, UNHCR’s Representative in Thailand, as saying. “We hope it will clearly establish the criteria and methodology for deciding who is and isn’t a refugee, and outline their rights and obligations in Thailand.”

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Last week’s announcement builds upon specific pledges designed to improve protection and solutions for refugees in Thailand made by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha at the September 2016 UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants, and the Leaders’ Summit on Refugees convened by US President Barack Obama in New York.

“With more than 65 million people forcibly displaced globally, it is crucial that States and international actors work hand in hand to respond to growing humanitarian needs,” said Menikdiwela. “It is heart-warming to see Thailand acting upon pledges made in New York, and once again taking a leadership role in the ASEAN region in addressing complex issues related to refugees and stateless persons.”

UNHCR continues to offer technical and other assistance in full support of finalizing and implementing an appropriate regulatory framework for refugee management and protection in Thailand, the statement added.

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The country currently hosts nearly 8,000 refugees and asylum-seekers in urban areas and more than 102,000 Myanmar refugees in nine camps on the border with Myanmar.

Refugee ban likely to top Trump's agenda on Wednesday

• Trump will take executive actions directing federal funds toward building the border wall

• He's also expected to target so-called sanctuary cities

• Trump is planning major National Security decisions on Wednesday

WASHINGTON, U.S. - A White House official has confirmed the president will take executive actions on Wednesday directing federal funds toward building the proposed border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

He's also expected to target so-called sanctuary cities where local leaders refuse to hand over illegal immigrants for deportation.

The newly inaugurated president is also said to be weighing proposals that would restrict the flow of refugees to the country.

Hinting at the announcement, on Tuesday, Trump tweeted, "Big day planned on NATIONAL SECURITY tomorrow. Among many other things, we will build the wall!"

Trump will make the announcement during a visit to the Department of Homeland Security at 1:25 p.m. ET as part of sweeping and immediate changes to the nation’s immigration system.

To build the wall without needing Congressional approval, Trump could make use of a 2006 law, Secure Fence Act, which authorized several hundred miles of fencing along the 2,000-mile frontier.

That bill led to the construction of about 700 miles of various kinds of fencing along the border with Mexico.

Throughout the campaign in the run-up to the election, Trump reiterated his pledge to bring illegal immigration under control and Wednesday's actions would represent Trump’s first effort to deliver on what he believes is what led him to victory.

The details of how the refugee program will be dealt with are still unclear.

Expectations in his inner circle are that Trump would take action on visas and refugees on Thursday.

According to reports, an order is being prepared with drastic measures to suspend the entire refugee program for four months for Trump’s sign off.

The measure is being proposed in a bid to gauge which nationality of migrants posed the least risk for U.S. National Security.

Further, reports noted that the program that facilitates the admission of Syrian refugees in the country would be ended indefinitely.

According to people close to the matter, the draft specifies that migrants that engage in bigotry, so-called "honor killings" by males of their female relatives, and violence against women shouldn't be admitted.

It would cap the total number of refugees admitted in the 2017 fiscal year at 50,000.

It would also direct the Pentagon and U.S. State Department to plan "safe zones" inside Syria, which the previous administration rejected as unlikely to alleviate civilian suffering.

According to the State Department Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, in the first three days of the Trump administration, the U.S. admitted 136 Syrian refugees.

During his campaign, Trump had adopted a hardline immigration policy, which would include a “complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States" until the US government could properly vet people coming in.

In a statement, the National Iranian American Council said, “Donald Trump is making good on the most shameful and discriminatory promises he made on the campaign trail. He called for a Muslim ban and is now taking the first steps to implement one. This will not stand. The American people are better than this.”

Bringing this campaign promise to the fore, on Monday, Spicer said, “First and foremost, the President's been very, very clear that we need to direct agencies to focus on those who are in this country illegally and have a record - a criminal record or poses a threat to the American people. That's where the priorities going to be."

He could also issue orders to as potentially bar for 30 days the issuance of U.S. visas to people from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen — all Muslim-majority countries — until new visa procedures are developed.

"My understanding is he'll have some announcements tomorrow on immigration enforcement,” said Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).

“I would expect action on enforcement sooner than later.”

http://www.malaysiasun.com

Let all refugees in Malaysia work, say human rights activists

PETALING JAYA: All refugees regardless of their country of origin should be accorded the opportunity to work in Malaysia, say human rights activists.



While welcoming the Government's decision to provide training in semi-skilled areas for Rohingya in country who are UNHCR cardholders, activists say there should not be discrimination against other refugees.

Tenaganita programme director Aegile Fernandez said when contacted that many of the refugees here had been in Malaysia for a long time and had no opportunity to be resettled.

"There is more attention on the Rohingya now because of the situation they are in but we shouldn't discriminate. Just extend it to all," she said, adding that such a support system was good in the long run for the refugees.

Fernandez added that the refugees could take back home the skills they learned if the situation permitted.

There is a spotlight on the Rohingya at the moment because of the situation in the Rakhine state in Myanmar where they are being persecuted.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was reported to have said on Thursday that the Government aims to provide training in semi-skilled areas for the Rohingya with UNHCR cards so that they can apply for Temporary Employment Passes (PLKS) which will then enable them to obtain employment.

Amnesty International Malaysia said that all refugees should be viewed as a growth sector in the country.

"This is certainly a step forward towards recognising the rights of refugees. We do hope, however, that all refugees, regardless of their country of origin, will be accorded the same opportunity," its director Shamini Darshni Kaliemuthu said.

She said that with Dr Ahmad Zahid's announcement, the Government seemed to be officially acknowledging the status of refugees in the country.

She also reiterated Amnesty's call for Malaysia to ratify the 1951 Refugee Convention immediately.

"The convention defines the term 'refugee', which is absent in Malaysian law, and outlines the rights of the displaced as well as the legal obligations of States to protect them.

"We ask that the Government demonstrate its commitment to aid the Rohingya and the wider refugee community in Malaysia by acceding to this international instrument," she said.

As of October of last year, there were some 150,669 refugees and asylum-seekers registered with UNHCR in Malaysia.

More than 135,000 of them are from Myanmar, comprising 54,856 Rohingya, 41,420 Chins, 10,928 Myanmar Muslims, 5,221 Rakhines and Arakanese, and other ethnicities from Myanmar.

The balance 15,000 are from other countries, including Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

http://www.thestar.com.my

Rohingya Leader: 90,000 Already in Malaysia Willing to Work

RFA Friday 9th December, 2016

A day after Myanmar's government announced it would no longer send workers to Malaysia, a migrant-group leader said about 90,000 Rohingya Muslims already in the country were willing to take jobs.

Faisal Islam Muhammad Kassim, president of the Rohingya Society in Malaysia (RSM), told BenarNews on Thursday that allowing members of his group to get jobs and seek education in Malaysia would help many who live in shared flats and houses have better lives.

"We would like to work and earn our income," said Faisal, a statistics graduate from a Myanmar university who earns his keep in Malaysia through translation work for media outlets and other odd jobs.

"We then can have access to health insurance if we are able to work legally here. Our children can also receive proper education," said Faisal, who has been in Malaysia for three years without a full-time job.

In response, Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) Executive Director Shamsuddin Bardan supported the idea following Myanmar's move on Wednesday.

"I personally believe when the Myanmar government decided to stop sending workers, the government should allow Rohingya refugees who are currently in Malaysia to work.

"But the policy must be firm. No refugees who come after a certain date should be allowed to work so that the country won't be overrun by Rohingya refugees," Shamsuddin told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Ministry of Human Resources has not received official notification from Myanmar about its prohibition on migrant workers heading to Malaysia. Human Resources Minister Richard Riot said such a move would not change the number of foreign workers in the country.

"About 100,000 Myanmar workers are working in Malaysia with most of them in the manufacturing sector," he said, adding the nation had enough foreign workers with most coming from Bangladesh.

In addition, Malaysia recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Cambodia to bring in workers, he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.

UNHCR

About 56,000 Rohingya in Malaysia have received refugee status cards from the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Kuala Lumpur. Faisal said another 35,000 were not recognized by UNHCR, which protects refugees but does not allow them to work legally.

Shamsuddin said the number of refugees was much higher, claiming that 150,000 Rohingya were in Malaysia and had no legal access to jobs.

In November, UNHCR told the Reuters news service that it was working with Malaysian officials on a pilot program to allow a few Rohingya - 300 over three years - to work in Malaysia's plantation and manufacturing sectors.

Political fallout

Myanmar on Wednesday said it had temporarily stopped sending workers to Malaysia over the "current situation in Malaysia," but without elaboration and apparently in response to bilateral tensions over a military crackdown in Rakhine state.

Myanmar's army has conducted security sweeps in the northern part of the state that borders Bangladesh following deadly attacks on Burmese border guard posts in early October. Authorities have blamed Rohingya militants for those attacks.

Soldiers have been accused of committing extrajudicial killings, rape and arson in Rohingya communities. The military has denied committing any atrocities and has blamed the arson that reportedly destroyed hundreds of homes on Rohingya. More than 20,000 Rohingya have crossed into southeastern Bangladesh in recent weeks as they have fled from the violence in Rakhine, the International Organization for Migration said this week.

On Friday, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak led a rally in Kuala Lumpur where he condemned violence against Rohingya Muslims as "genocide" and urged other Asian nations to increase pressure on Myanmar to stop the bloodletting.

The move prompted Myanmar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Kyaw Tin to summon Malaysian Ambassador Mohd Haniff Bin Abd Rahman to express dismay over Najib's remarks and reject accusations of genocide and ethnic cleansing.

Educational opportunities

Faisal said large populations of Rohingya were in Kuala Lumpur Selangor, and the northern state of Penang. Their children attend schools run by non-governmental organizations.

"We expect that there are more than what we've recorded. UNHCR is giving cards to those who really need it like the sickly and those who had been detained by the authorities and kept at the immigration depot," said Faisal, 34, the father of a 5-month-old.

Lydia Amira, a teacher at a Rohingya NGO school in Kuala Lumpur supported calls for educational rights for Rohingya.

"These students have potential. We want them to have language and knowledge so that they can survive the outside world. It's no different from normal, non-refugee kids.

"From just teaching them language, basic English, a number of our students were accepted for relocation efforts into the United States, perhaps with what we are teaching here, one day they can go back to their country and rebuild it with what they learned," she told BenarNews.

Reported by Muzliza Mustafa, A. Ariffin and Hadi Azmi for BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.

Copyright 1998-2014, RFA. Published with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036

Najib opens thorny debate in Myanmar genocide claim

Myanmar considering lodging an official complaint with Asean over what it calls a serious breach of pledge of non-interference in fellow member's domestic issues.

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Najib Razak’s stern rebuke to Myanmar for a military-led crackdown on Muslim Rohingyas was a rarity among Southeast Asian nations, who adhere to a policy of non-interference in each other’s domestic affairs.

Critics saw the beleaguered Najib reaching for the moral high ground with his criticism over the weekend of Myanmar in order to pander to Malay Muslim voters after a series of protests calling for him to resign over a corruption scandal.

Najib is eyeing elections in the second half of 2017, nearly a year ahead of the August 2018 deadline, a government source told Reuters.

At a rally on Sunday, Najib called for foreign intervention to stop the “genocide” of Rohingya Muslims and lashed out at Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi for her inaction.

The persecution of the Rohingyas in Rakhine state, however, has been going on for years. It has forced hundreds of thousands to board flimsy boats and flee to neighbouring countries, including Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia – which along with Myanmar are all members of Asean.

More than 100,000 Rohingya live in poverty and face harassment as illegal migrants in Malaysia. Many others fell into the hands of human traffickers on their perilous journeys from Myanmar.

Myanmar incensed

The Myanmar government was incensed by Najib’s criticism.

Presidential spokesman Zaw Htay said Myanmar was considering lodging an official complaint with Asean, the bloc of 10 Southeast Asian nations that agree on economic cooperation but pledge non-interference in each other’s domestic issues.

“He (Najib) could have tried to handle this issue diplomatically through the ambassadors,” Zaw Htay was quoted telling the local media in Myanmar. He accused Najib of looking to win popular support among his Muslim voters.

Myanmar said this week it was halting workers going to Malaysia in response to the comments.

But Najib in his rally speech suggested that Asean must set aside its principle of non-interference to tackle regional issues like the Rohingya repressions and migrations, especially when they pose questions about universal values.

“We want to remind Myanmar’s government that the Asean charter also upholds basic human rights,” the prime minister said in his speech.

Invisible migrants

Rohingyas in Malaysia applauded Najib’s intervention.

“Rohingya people are hoping something may change in Myanmar – and also in Malaysia, where many of us live,” said Faisal Islam Muhammad Kassim of the Rohingya Society in Malaysia.

Many of them live in squalor in Kuala Lumpur’s suburbs, working illegally in restaurants and construction sites, where they are routinely underpaid. Families and single men live in matchbox apartments with over half a dozen cramped into one room.

“We are harassed everyday … by the cops and by everyone,” said a Rohingya migrant living illegally, who did not want to be identified. “We have no dignity here.”

Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Convention on the status of refugees, which means all refugees, including Rohingya, are viewed as illegal migrants awaiting resettlement in a third country.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative in Malaysia, Richard Towle, said Rohingyas in Malaysia are in the “invisible bottom 30% of society, and very much at risk of exploitation and abuse”.

“Although it’s proper to highlight the situation in Myanmar itself, it’s also very important to look at the situation of the Rohingya in Bangladesh and here in Malaysia, where there is a lot we can still do to make their lives more secure and safer,” Towle said.

Pressure of scandal

Najib’s popularity dropped after he was linked to a multi-billion dollar graft scandal at state fund 1MDB. Tens of thousands marched on the streets of Kuala Lumpur last month, demanding he step down and face corruption charges.

Najib has denied wrongdoing and has used powerful security laws to block dissenters and his opponents.

He needs the support of the powerful Islamist party PAS, to secure a convincing win in the next elections. Najib has put his weight behind an Islamic law, hudud, that sets out punishments such as amputation and stoning.

The law may be tabled in parliament next year.

“Quite clearly, there is a major domestic political dimension to this, as Najib positions himself as the champion of downtrodden Muslims in the region, which he and Umno obviously believe will be popular in the Malay Muslim heartland,” said Phil Robertson, deputy director for the Asia Division of Human Rights Watch.

“And of course, talking about the Rohingya is a good way to change the subject from the 1MDB scandal,” he added.

Najib’s office did not respond to requests for comment.

First feathered dinosaur tail discovered in amber

PanArmenian.Net Saturday 10th December, 2016

PanARMENIAN.Net - Scientists have found dinosaur-era feathers and evidence of them in fossil impressions before. But this is the first time they've discovered a full-feathered tail section preserved in amber, ripe for forensic analysis and Spielbergian dreams, Engadget said.

Paleontologist Lida Xing of the China University of Geosciences led the research, as detailed in a report that came out in the journal Current Biology. The sample itself, known as DIP-V-15103 and unofficially as "Eva" after the wife of the report's co-author, came from a mine in Kachin, a state in northern Myanmar. Based on the structure of the tail, it likely came from a Cretaceous-era young coelurasaur, a subgroup of therapods that includes everything from tyrannosauruses to birds, points out National Geographic.

While you should check your excitement for the possibilities of dino DNA, the preserved feathers gave the scientists forensic insight into their role. The encased plumage seems to be ornamental rather than functional: Previous research by the same team found that birds from this sample's era had similar feathers to those of birds today. In short, if the rest of the tail looked like Eva, this dino likely wouldn't have been able to fly, Engadget said.

Xing and his team didn't dig the sample up, however -- they collected it from an amber market in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin. Burmese amber is often used as jewelry, and Eva had already been shaped by the time it was collected with other samples in 2015.

Myanmar to Seek Legal Recourse Against British Tabloid Over False Report

RFA Saturday 10th December, 2016

The Myanmar government will take legal action against a British tabloid that published a fabricated report and false images allegedly showing an army soldier torturing a Rohingya Muslim child in the country's troubled Rakhine state, a government spokesman said Friday.

The photos and a video published Wednesday on the Daily Mail's website shows a laughing soldier using a stun gun on a naked toddler who is crying and appears to roll over in pain on the ground.

Myanmar security forces cracked down on the Rohingya in the northern part of Rakhine state following deadly attacks on three border guard stations in early October. The Rohingya have accused the soldiers of extrajudicial killings, torture, rape, and arson, though the military and government have denied the allegations.

The government will respond legally and journalistically to the Daily Mail for its wrongful publication of the photos, Zaw Htay, spokesman of the President's Office, told RFA's Myanmar Service.

"For this case, we will respond by legal means or by international journalistic procedures," he said.

"At the moment, Daily Mail has not taken any responsibility for its wrongful coverage, but the damage has done by dissemination through Twitter, Facebook, and other social media," he said.

The images are from an incident that occurred in Cambodia's Mondulkiri province, he said.

A Dutch man and two Vietnamese men have been arrested for torturing the boy in the photos, while a third Vietnamese man is still being sought, according to a report by state-run Myanmar News Agency (MNA).

Zaw Htay said the fabrication of the story continues to damage the image of Myanmar and its people.

The government has come under fire from western countries, the United Nations, and a few predominantly Muslim countries in Asia for its handling of the crisis in Rakhine and failure to ensure the security of the Rohingya.

Zaw Htay also said the President's Office is calculating the amount of damage caused via social media and will consult the attorney general about how it can seek legal recourse against the newspaper.

The Daily Mail removed the story and images by Dave Burke from its website soon after they were found to be inaccurate, but archived versions of the article are still circulating on social media, the MNA report said.

The Myanmar government has charged other outside news organizations with publishing inaccurate reports about the security operations in northern Rakhine state.

Reported by RFA's Myanmar Service. Translated by Kyaw Min Htun. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.

Copyright 1998-2014, RFA. Published with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036

Myanmar’s snub to Msia’s megaphone diplomacy

Malaysia lost much diplomatic clout and regional respect after its leaders participated in a rally protesting the persecution of the Rohingya in Myanmar.

By Azrul Mohd Khalib

Last week’s Titiwangsa rally in support of the Rohingya in Myanmar must have left regional observers shaking their heads, first in wonderment, followed by bewilderment. That the rally was held itself was not the cause for the head scratching.

After all, rallies are held commonly enough these days, and the right and acceptable sort would not only be speedily granted permission, it would also not cause the organisers to be interrogated by police.

Solidarity gatherings and demonstrations in protest of the atrocities against and persecution of the Rohingya community in Rakhine State, organised especially after Friday prayers, have been held in the past by NGOs, political parties and even members of the Rohingya community themselves here in Malaysia.

What was strange about this obviously state-sponsored and state-supported rally was the presence of senior members of the Malaysian government, including the Prime Minister.

This is the same administration that was involved in the Andaman Sea refugee crisis more than a year ago. In that infamous incident, Thai, Indonesian and Malaysian authorities intercepted boats full of starving, dying and desperate refugees, asylum-seekers and economic migrants and pushed them back out to sea.

Abandoned by human smugglers and traffickers, many of these boats were filled from bow to stern, and contained an estimated total of 6,000 men, women and children, many of whom were Rohingya fleeing persecution in Myanmar. Most were without food and water. Hundreds perished as countries, including Malaysia, played a three-way game of “human ping pong” over a number of weeks.

Half of the boats managed to slip through and were rescued by Indonesian and Malaysian fishermen. The rest were believed to have perished.

One year on from the crisis, the outcomes of several meetings of the Asia Dialogue on Forced Migration organised through the Bali Process have indicated that the countries of the region have learnt from that incident. They have since built structures and policies to improve regional and collective actions on future incidences of forced migration.

But one outcome was clear from these discussions: the essential need to engage decisively with Myanmar to ensure that future Andaman Sea refugee crises do not occur. It is critical that the root causes of this migration are addressed. To do so, it will fundamentally require Myanmar’s cooperation.

Prior to the rally, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi apparently made it clear to Foreign Minister Anifah Aman that ‘If you (Anifah) want to see me on bilateral issues yes, but I’m not willing to see you if you want to discuss the Rohingya issue’.” A spokesperson later reminded Malaysia not to interfere in Myanmar’s internal affairs.

At the rally, Najib responded aggressively by asking “do they (Myanmar government) want me to close my eyes? Want me to be mute?”

“There is an article in the Asean charter that says Asean (members) must uphold human rights. Are they blind? Don’t just interpret as you choose.”

Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi even mocked Suu Kyi’s Nobel Peace Prize award and called for the international court of criminal justice to take action against the leaders of Myanmar.

But I am reminded by what Najib said at the recent International Conference of Asian Political Parties. He called on the Conference to respect the principle of “non-interference in the internal affairs of other sovereign countries.” He stated that citizens who call on foreign powers to intervene in the affairs of their countries were not patriots.

What is happening to the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar is monstrous and requires concerted international action to prevent any further escalation of the violence, and ultimately, to save lives.

Arguably, the recent actions of the government jeopardise any further possibility of Malaysia playing a credible part or sincere role in ensuring a long-term resolution to what is happening in Rakhine State.

In comparison, Indonesia’s quiet diplomacy which involved the sending of humanitarian aid to Rakhine State following the October 9 incident, the building of two schools and a medical centre, is clearly preferred by Myanmar.

Last week, Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi met with Suu Kyi after the latter extended an invitation to Indonesia to openly discuss the situation in Rakhine State. A clear snub towards Malaysia’s megaphone diplomacy.

Unless Malaysia and Indonesia were doing a “good cop/bad cop” routine, it is very clear that our cousins across the Malacca Straits will now probably be in a better position to help.

For the sake of the Rohingya community in Rakhine State, I hope the Indonesians succeed in their approach.

As a result of this grandstanding and pandering to short-term domestic political optics, Malaysia has lost much diplomatic clout, respect and regional respect.

And what did we gain? Very little for those who need help the most.

Azrul Mohd Khalib is an FMT reader. 

With a firm belief in freedom of expression and without prejudice, FMT tries its best to share reliable content from third parties. Such articles are strictly the writer’s personal opinion. FMT does not necessarily endorse the views or opinions given by any third party content provider.

Source : http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/

Call to allow Rohingya refugees to work legally

PETALING JAYA: With the number of refugees in Malaysia on the rise, it is high time the government ensures their basic human rights are protected.

A member of parliament and a rights organisation said, instead of bringing in foreign workers, these refugees should be given the jobs.

Klang MP Charles Santiago said the government should help those seeking refuge here with a chance at a normal life while waiting for permanent placements.

He described the government’s current management of the refugees as “poor”, due to the fact that most of them were destitute.

Santiago said how their presence would affect the country depended greatly on the way the situation was handled.

“Now, the cost to support these refugees is borne by the government and the people. But what the government can do is to get the refugees who are already here to work in service centres or in plantations.

“All they need is some basic education and some caring from the companies or the government itself.

“It would be good for the country as doing this is cheaper than bringing in more migrant workers,” he told FMT.

Santiago urged Putrajaya and other Asean governments to intervene in the conflict in Myanmar that had seen its minority Rohingya community “butchered and brutalised”.

Malaysia has the ability to do this as it is a member of both Asean and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Shahidan Kassim, in a Dewan Rakyat written reply Thursday, stated that the number of refugees in Malaysia had been on the increase since 2010.

He said as of September this year, the total number of refugees here was 150,226. Of this number, 143,669 are from Myanmar.

Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organisation Malaysia President Zafar Ahmad Abdul Ghani, in response to this, said the number would increase if Putrajaya continued its “deafening silence” over the “genocide” in Myanmar, which is also a member of Asean.

“In order to survive, the Rohingya have to flee the country. So if the Malaysian Government refuses to intervene, more will come to seek refuge here,” he said when contacted by FMT.

At the very least, Zafar said, it should look into the wellbeing of the refugees who are here.

Otherwise, they would be left with no choice but to resort to illegal employment and that could cause the government more problems, he added.

“Find a way to help them assimilate with the community. Give them the jobs that Malaysians do not want instead of bringing in more foreign workers.

“Because the refugees are not here by choice. They have nowhere else to go and they can’t stay in their own country,” he said.

Myanmar Refugee Doctor Wins Humanitarian Prize for Clinic in Thailand

London. When Cynthia Maung saw the suffering of fellow refugees who had fled Myanmar's crackdown on a pro-democracy uprising in the late 1980s and sought sanctuary in neighboring Thailand, she knew she had to do something about it.

Maung, a doctor, decided to rally other medical professionals in the refugee camps in northwestern Thailand to help her open a clinic in the border town of Mae Sot.

Starting in 1988 with only four beds, the clinic has developed into a fully-fledged health facility providing inpatient services, surgery and trauma care, dental care, vaccinations and HIV prevention.

It treats more than 75,000 patients a year.

"The number of patients that arrive at the clinic each year is on the rise," said Maung, who received an international award on Wednesday (16/11) in recognition of her humanitarian work.

"We also train health workers and provide outreach services for patients who require access to medical attention closer to their communities," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"But the biggest challenge we face is in dealing with the trauma suffered by the displaced and their concerns about food, health care and job insecurities," Maung said before she was due to receive the AidEx Humanitarian Hero of the Year Award in Brussels.

Maung, from the Karen ethnic group, said she was concerned about a military crackdown in western Myanmar which has forced hundreds of Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh, trying to escape violence that has brought the number of dead confirmed by the army to more than 130.

Some of the Rohingya were gunned down as they tried to cross the Naaf river that separates Myanmar and Bangladesh, while others arriving by boat were pushed away by Bangladeshi border guards and may be stranded at sea, residents said.

The bloodshed is the most serious since hundreds were killed in communal clashes in the western Myanmar state of Rakhine in 2012. It has exposed the lack of oversight of the military by the seven-month-old administration of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.

"Fighting along the borders is still going on. That has left thousands of people displaced as a result and there hasn't been much improvement in regions still controlled by the military," Maung said.

"... those especially from ethnic minorities remain very anxious about their future. They want to see if the government in Burma will be all inclusive."

Mae Sot in Thailand is home to thousands of refugees from Myanmar who have fled conflict and violence, as well as tens of thousands of migrant workers, many of whom are in low-skilled, backbreaking jobs.

"As long as there is a need for us to be here and there are refugees and migrant workers that need protection, medical care and support, we will continue to be here and do what we do," Maung said.

Reuters

http://jakartaglobe.id/

Minister: There is an increase in Myanmar refugees

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18 — The country received refugee applications from 17 nations through the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), said Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim.

Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim says most of the refugee applicants are from Myanmar, followed by Sri Lanka and Somalia. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

Shahidan,had in his written reply, said most of the applicants were from Myanmar, followed by Sri Lanka and Somalia since 2010.

Malaysia received 84,852 applications from Myanmar in 2010 and the numbers increased to 88,041 in 2011, 100,982 (2012), 131,387 (2013), 140,202 (2014), 143,669 last year and 135,286 this year.

“UNHCR will determine a person’s refugee status if it is within its charter,” he said.

Shahidan was replying to a question by Er Teck Hwa (DAP-Bakri) who had asked for a breakdown of the number of refugee applications that had been approved since 2010.

The Arau MP, however, said the ministry did not have the information of the number of applications accepted or rejected or the details of the applicants as the records were with UNHCR.

Malaysia begins pilot job project for Rohingya refugees

By P Prem Kumar

KUALA LUMPUR

Malaysia’s government will allow some 300 Rohingya refugees in the country to seek employment under a pilot project planned to last over the next three years.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told parliament Monday that the Rohingya refugees -- who fled Myanmar’s troubled western Rakhine State –would be allowed to work in the plantation and manufacturing sectors.

Hamidi, who is also home minister, said the outcome of the pilot project would then determine the government's decision on whether to allow refugees to work.

He described the effort as being part of the government’s humanitarian policy despite Malaysia not being party to the United Nations’ 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol, which the country has been insistent on not signing.

"The government is in the midst of implementing a pilot project to allow 300 Rohingya to work in selected sectors namely plantation and manufacturing sectors, which is expected to take a period of three years,” Hamidi said.

"This is one of the government’s efforts to give preparation to this group before they return to their country or are sent to the resettlement country," he added.

For years, Rohingya -- described by the UN as among the most persecuted minority groups worldwide -- have been fleeing conflict in western Myanmar, with many using Thailand as a transit point to enter Muslim Malaysia and beyond.

In May 2015, thousands of Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants were stranded at sea after Thailand launched an anti-trafficking crackdown after discovering the bodies of dozens of migrants near its border with Malaysia.

After initially turning back boatloads of migrants, Indonesia and Malaysia agreed to take Rohingya in for one year, accommodating those deemed to be refugees on the condition that the international community then resettle them.

Hamidi insisted Monday that Malaysia's acceptance of Syrian refugees -- to whom temporary residency and work permits are granted -- should not be compared with the Rohingya, saying Syrian refugees had been offered shelter in the country and were not “illegal immigrants”.

He said the processing of Rohingya and Syrians were two different matters for the government’s consideration, especially in terms of responsibility and the country’s security requirements.

"Thus, to date the government does not have any suggestions or considerations to provide temporary settlement and work permits for the Rohingya [as given to the Syrians],” he said.

"This is because the actual solution needed for them is by resolving the root cause in the country of origin [Myanmar]," he said.

In October last year, Prime Minister Najib Razak announced that Malaysia would open its doors to 3,000 Syrian migrants over a three-year period during a speech at the 70th session of the UN General Assembly.

More than 20 Syrian refugee families have already arrived in Malaysia to-date, all screened through the Advance Passenger Screening System with the cooperation of Interpol and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Malaysia is expected to take in 1,000 Syrian refugees every year from 2016 to 2018, but with proper security surveillance of each individual.

Malaysia currently hosts one of the largest urban refugee populations in the world.

As of 2014, some 146,020 refugees and asylum seekers had been registered with the UNHCR in Malaysia, of which the vast majority -- 135,000 -- are from Myanmar.

The vast majority of them are Chin, Rohingya and other Myanmar Muslims.

UNHCR approves 888,294 applications since 2010 to stay in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 888,294 applications by refugees from various countries to stay in Malaysia were approved by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) from 2010 to September this year.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said refugees from 17 countries were found in Malaysia with those from Myanmar forming the highest number approved at 824,419, according to statistical records of the UNHCR office, here.

He said this was followed by those from Sri Lanka (26,615), Somalia (8,532), Pakistan (7,541), Iraq (6,394) and other countries (14,793).

"The business of determining the status of the refugees' applications is that of the UNHCR in accordance with its charter," he said in his written reply to a question from Er Tech Hwa (DAP-Bakri) at the Dewan Rakyat sitting, Wednesday.

Shahidan, however, said the ministry did not have information on the number of applications that were rejected, the ages of the refugees and the lengths of their stay in this country. -- BERNAMA

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Posted on 6 October 2016 - 04:35pm

Last updated on 6 October 2016 - 08:19pm

G.Surach

newsdesk@thesundaily.com

KUALA LUMPUR: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Malaysia and healthcare provider Qualitas Medical Group today launched - "One Clinic, One Community, Qualitas Refugee Health Programme", to provide refugees primary healthcare which will in turn reduce spread of infection from communicable diseases.

The subsidised health service will be provided at any one of Qualitas 80 clinics nationwide.

Qualitas chairman and managing director Datuk Dr Noorul Ameen Mohamed Ishack said their aim was to provide medical services to these marginalised communities, and stop spread of communicable diseases to support the overall health of Malaysians.

"The programme will help address the primary healthcare issues faced by the refugee communities here in Malaysia," he said during the launch and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing between both groups at the Federal Hotel, here, today.

Having met representatives of the refugee community organisations for a briefing on the health programme, last week, Noorul said Qualitas for the past month has been piloting the health programme in four of its clinics close to large numbers of refugees.

"With the launch, Qualitas will extend the programme to all its other primary healthcare clinics throughout Malaysia," he added.

UNCHR's Malaysian representative Richard Towle said the programme will improve the welfare of refugee families.

"Life for refugees in Malaysia is very difficult. Because they are considered as illegal immigrants by law, they are unable to work legally in the country and are often unable to afford basic healthcare services

"Early treatment at primary healthcare facilities and better education can prevent illnesses, if left untreated, would cost more to refugee families and Malaysia," he said.

He said there are some 150,000 refugees currently registered with UNHCR, with majority coming from Myanmar.

While refugees have access to public and private healthcare facilities in the country but factors including cost, fear of movement, and language limitations prohibit access to healthcare services.

"Partnerships with private healthcare providers like Qualitas is a good example of private sector involvement in reducing the burden of healthcare on the public healthcare system, while ensuring that marginalised communities get the healthcare they need.

"This programme creates affordable healthcare for an extremely vulnerable population, thus curbing any public health problems within this group," he added.

http://www.thesundaily.my/



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200 000 Afghan refugees return home

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News24 Wednesday 5th October, 2016

Islamabad - More than 200 000 Afghan refugees have been repatriated from Pakistan this year, nearly half of them in September alone, UNHCR said on Tuesday, the highest number since the US toppled the Taliban in 2002.

The tsunami of refugees returning to the war-torn country comes after Pakistan tightened its border controls in June and began cracking down on undocumented Afghans.

The vast majority - more than 185 000 - returned after July, with nearly 98 00 crossing the border in September alone, UNHCR spokesperson Qaisar Khan Afridi told AFP.

"From January until today, the number of refugees voluntarily repatriating to Afghanistan has crossed the figure of 200 000," Afridi said.

More and more appear to be going every day, with officials saying that the first four days of October saw up to 5 000 returnees daily.

An Amnesty International report on Tuesday said Pakistan hosted 1.6 million refugees, making it the third largest refugee hosting nation in the world.

But UNHCR said the figure, based on its own data, was already out of date and should be revised to 1.4 million after the movement since July.

The agency also estimates that a further one million undocumented refugees are in Pakistan.

Since 2009, Islamabad has repeatedly pushed back a deadline for them to return, but fears are growing that the latest cutoff date in March 2017 will be final.

Pakistani officials said the increase came after they vowed to tighten border controls, particularly at the porous Torkham Gate crossing.

However UNHCR cited an array of other reasons that could be helping drive the rush back into Afghanistan, including increasing anxiety and insecurity for refugees about life in Pakistan.

Other factors include the UNHCR decision to double its cash grant for voluntary returnees from $200 to $400 per individual in June, and a campaign by the Afghan government to lure its citizens back with the slogan "My country, my beautiful country".

In Afghanistan, however, torn apart by more than three decades of conflict, authorities warn the number of displaced people has outpaced the capacity of the government and aid agencies to cope.

Meanwhile the EU said Monday it has struck a tentative deal with Afghanistan to take back migrants ahead of a conference in Brussels aimed at securing international financial aid for the war-ravaged nation.

However, European Union officials have denied that aid pledges would depend on the Kabul government accepting the return of tens of thousands of Afghans from an overstretched Europe.

Source: News24

http://www.malaysiasun.com/



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Doctors Without Borders Washington Exhibit Explores Refugee Plight

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VOA Thursday 6th October, 2016

'Are those pets or food?' asks Sarah, the tour guide, as she begins to explain just how difficult the choices can be for people fleeing their homes.

The Forced from Home exhibit on the National Mall near the Washington Monument is a seemingly makeshift collection of tents, barricades, and photos of people fleeing their homes. But the display, sponsored by Doctors Without Borders (MSF), has a serious purpose: giving D.C. residents and tourists a small understanding of what it is like to be a refugee.

'Do you have any idea how many people in the world have been forced from home?' Sarah asks her group.

Some 65 million people are currently fleeing conflict and persecution, according to MSF.

Making hard choices

Many of the tour groups are students on organized visits from their schools. But the groups also include friends and supporters of MSF, D.C. residents, and tourists drawn in after visiting the Washington museums.

At the beginning of the journey, visitors assume the identity of a refugee or displaced person. They learn about the events that force people to leave their homes, including conflicts in Burundi, Mexico, Somalia, and, of course, Syria.

'In 2014, the U.N. stopped counting the number of civilians dead [in Syria],' Sarah tells her group. 'They were at 400,000.'

One D.C. resident leaves her stroller at registration and carries her 4-month-old baby through the hour-long tour.

'I thought it would be realistic this way,' she says.

As the 'refugees' move from station to station, they have to make choices: Do they pay for their journey with their remaining medicine, water, food or blankets?

Early in the exhibit, visitors are encouraged to sit in a rubber raft, designed to hold seven people. Sixteen people on the tour fit snugly in the raft, while Sarah explained that the boat would carry as many as 60 people across the Mediterranean Sea.

'Many people who take this journey die of asphyxiation,' she says.

The tour continues, showing markets, mosquito nets, and various types of tents. 'Refugee,' 'asylum seeker' or 'internally displaced' is written on the identity card given to each of the visitors. That identification determines what kind of accommodation each person would get.

Bearing witness

Every tour guide has his or her own story. Sarah first deployed to the Central African Republic before working in Gaza and in France, where she's from. To humanize some of the incomprehensibly large statistics and death tolls, Sarah told a story of some of the challenges she faced, including whether to separate a mother suffering from psychosis from her breastfeeding newborn.

'We need to raise awareness. We need to bear witness,' says Chris Tsarra of MSF. 'We need to bring back the voices from the field and share our experiences.'

By the end of the tour, only one of five items visitors took with them remains in their possession.

'Imagine, all you have to start your new life with is this, this one item,' Sarah says. For some, that's their passport. For others it's a blanket, or some cash.

The exhibit attempts to create a connection between refugees and Americans, who may see little reason to care about the global refugee crisis.

'They can just pretend that it's far away and not that big of a deal,' says Katherine Baer, a visitor on the tour. 'And especially if they don't see anybody responding to it: the politicians, the leaders. They can easily ignore it.'

The exhibit started in New York City, and will travel on to Boston and Philadelphia.

http://www.malaysiasun.com/



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