Mon migrant workers in Malaysia invited to register with the UN

Wed 30 Sep 2009, Asah

On the 15th this upcoming October, 2849 Mon migrant workers in Malaysia will be allowed to register as refugees with the United Nations (UN).

The invitation has been extended not only to Mon workers already residing in Malaysia, but also to Mon refugees living in refugee camps in Thailand, many of whom are now moving to Malaysia to take advantage of the UN’s offer.

Registering as refugees win the UN provides migrants with official United Nation identification documents; such identification aids them in finding employment and provides legal benefits.

According to Nai Sai Wana, chairman of the Malaysia Mon Refugee Organization, migrant workers from many Burmese ethnic minorities will be allowed to register in much higher numbers than last year. Between 600 and 700 Ka Chin, 10, 000 Chin, over 600 Shan, over 2,800 Mon, over 1,000 Karen, and roughly 400 Karen Ni migrant workers from Burma will be allowed to register with the United Nations by then end of a registration period that started on July 17th and will last until the cutoff point on October 15th.

“On the 15th of March 2009, we registered with UN about 5,000 Mon migrants in Malaysia. So, they gave many Mon migrants this special this October. In 2009, those who have been registered at the UN can get a job easier than others. And NGO groups help those who have registered already to get jobs,“ he added. Nai Sai Wana also mentioned that opportunities for migrant worker registration in Malaysia this year were far greater than last year, when only migrants recently released from prison, or those infected with diseases like HIV, were allowed to register with the UN. According to the chairman, there are over 20,000 Mon migrant workers living, but only 6,500 are members of the Malaysia Mon Refugee Organization. By becoming members of the MMRO, migrant workers are allowed to register with the United Nations as legal workers in Malaysia.

According to a worker already registered in Malaysia, this year the MMRO wants to register more Mon migrants than last year, because the organization is anxious to draw UN attention to migrant worker issues and abuses in Malaysia.

“After we registered, we got a paper [like a certificate] and then one month later we got a UN ID. If we have a UN ID, we are supported when we want a job, and the police don’t arrest us. In fact, we can get a good job as well as a good salary. We aren’t afraid of a boss who doesn’t pay money each month for a working salary,” this worker added.

According to a Mon migrant worker who registered with the UN just last month, many Mon migrant workers in Malaysia want to register with the UN because not registering leaves them vulnerable to being arrested by the Malaysian police will. It is also very difficult to get a good job without a UN certificate and a passport.

“If we have no UN ID or passport, the police can arrest us at any time. And we have to be afraid that they will arrest us if we go somewhere. Those who have a ID get a salary of 1200 Malaysian ringgit per month, but those without an ID only get 800 ringgit per month. Sometime a boss wouldn’t pay our salaries, and we couldn’t complain, this worker added.

On the 13th of August in 2009, 250 Mon migrant workers in Malaysia were allowed to register with the UN, Nai Sai Wana pointed out.

The chairman also mentioned that last year, the UN allowed Kachin migrant workers to register in greater numbers than members of other ethic minorities from Burma. Only 30 member of each ethnic group (including the Mon) were allowed to register.

Pregnant refugee woman seeks protection in Malaysia

Pregnant refugee woman seeks protection in Malaysia


Mon refugees in Malaysia are seeking protection following the recent raids on refugees and migrants in Kuala Lumpur.

According to Piung Chan, a social worker from Mon Refugee Organization (MRO) based in Kuala Lumpur , 33 Burmese nationals were arrested in the early morning hours on August 17, 2007. Those arrested included a group of 9 Mon nationals and Chin and Burmese asylum seekers as well.

Among those arrested is an eight-month pregnant woman, Ms. Mei Korn Thaw, who is recognized by the UNHCR office as a refugee and who is reportedly unwell. “Her unborn baby and the girl both are in poor health, she has an appointment to see the doctor on August 23,” said Piung Chan.

As with all forced migrants who have left due to extreme poverty and refugees fleeing human rights abuses in Burma, 24-year-old Ms. Mei Korn Thaw and her husband fled from Sam Hlea village in Karen State to escape military suppression.

The Malaysian authorities and RELA (Peoples' Volunteer Corps or Ikatan Relawan Rakyat) armed with sticks and batons raided their makeshift shelters in the morning about 6:30 a.m. The refugees were arrested for illegal entry or for lacking proper documentation papers. After the raids, they were sent to Semenyih Detention Camp, an hour and a half east of KL. They are not allowed visitors and most will spend from one to six months in jail or a camp with the men being lashed or caned.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office recently registered about 90 Mon refugees after an officer paid a rare visit to the MRO office earlier this month on August 14.

Only a handful of Mon asylum seekers have been recognized as refugees in Malaysia despite increasing numbers there. Over 9000 Mon asylum seekers have registered with the MRO offices in KL and Penang and about 250 people have been able to register with the UNHCR in the past two years. According to unofficial estimates there are approximately 100,000 Burmese refugees in Malaysia with most working in the construction and restaurant industries.

Since human rights violations continue in southern Burma , many Mon have fled to Malaysia where they are classified as illegal immigrants by the government and are labeled as criminals by Malaysian society and who live under miserable conditions.

A recent report by Project Maje titled “We Built This City” documents the terrible working and living conditions of the Burmese people and the violations committed against them by the Malaysian authorities, while the refugees have contributed significantly to the development of the country. Burmese labour has built the many luxury hotels, condos and roads, which has brought prosperity for the Malaysian people.

Burmese refugees, even those with work permits or who have been recognized as refugees by the UNHCR, have been arrested, caned, and tortured by the RELA. The Malaysian NGOs have condemned the actions of RELA and called on the Malaysian government to abolish it because it reportedly commits brutal and violent acts by attacking, assaulting, kicking and beating refugees, including woman and children, with batons and sticks while conducting their search and seizure raids.