Showing posts with label K'cho People Of Mindat. Show all posts

Friday, November 18, 2011

2011/2012 Subcommittee on Migrants, Refugees and Immigration Affairs Interim Report

The Subcommittee on Migrants, Refugees and Immigration Affairs (“SMRIA”) has met twice for the term 2011/12.

The foci of SMRIA are the following issues:

(1) Pekerja Asing Tanpa Izin Courts;
(2) Rights of domestic workers in relation to the Employment (Amendment) Bill and International Labour Organization (“ILO”) Convention on Domestic Workers;
(3) Police shooting of foreign nationals;
(4) Refugees and stateless persons in Sabah;
(5) Medical insurance for foreign workers; and
(6) Malaysia’s reports on compliance of ILO conventions.

SMRIA has planned the following activities:

(1) ASEAN Legal Network/Two-day workshop on migrants and refugees

SMRIA has proposed to set up an ASEAN Legal Network with the following objectives:

(a) Set up a network for law societies from the source and destination countries of domestic workers to work with one another on migrant and refugee issues;
(b) Generate a referral mechanism for cases involving migrants and refugees;
(c) Establish a legal framework on migrant and refugee issues in ASEAN countries, eg on anti-trafficking;
(d) Create a platform for law societies in ASEAN to share information and knowledge on how migrant and refugee rights are protected in different jurisdictions; and
(e) Encourage the law societies to set up a committee on migrants and refugees within their organisation.

A two-day workshop in November 2011 will be organised as the first activity of the ASEAN Legal Network.

(2) Training on international refugee law

In the previous term, SMRIA jointly organised a seminar on international refugee law with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (“UNHCR”) in Malaysia and Judicial and Legal Training Institute (“ILKAP”) on 5 and 6 Aug 2010 at the ILKAP training centre in Bangi.

The speaker, Rodger Haines QC, is the Deputy Chairperson of the New Zealand Refugee Status Appeals Authority and a lecturer in immigration and refugee law at the Faculty of Law, Auckland University.

The web report for the seminar can be accessed here.

This term, SMRIA will collaborate with UNHCR Malaysia to organise training at Bar Council premises, tentatively scheduled on 12 and 13 Oct 2011. An official from the UNHCR office in Bangkok will be invited as a speaker for the training.

(3) Dialogue with city councils

The initiative to dialogue with city councils was the result of UNHCR’s new urban refugee policy briefing jointly organised by Bar Council and UNHCR Malaysia on 7 Apr 2010.

The web report for the briefing can be accessed here.

SMRIA will have its inaugural dialogue with the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (“MPAJ”) to discuss issues concerning refugees within MPAJ’s jurisdiction and services that can be provided to these refugees. The date will be confirmed soon.

(4) Roundtable Conference: Developing A Comprehensive Policy Framework for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (Part II)

On 23 June 2009, SMRIA successfully organised a roundtable conference to consider current practices and to develop a comprehensive policy framework to enhance the social protection of refugees and asylum seekers. 41 participants attended the conference, including representatives from Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia Malaysia (“SUHAKAM”), UNHCR, United Nations Children’s Fund (“UNICEF”), International Committee of the Red Cross, Malaysian Medical Association and other members of civil society.

The web report for the conference can be accessed here.

SMRIA prepared a memorandum entitled “Developing a Comprehensive Policy Framework for Refugees and Asylum Seekers” from the views and suggestions collated at the conference.

SMRIA will organise a second part to the conference in October 2011 to map out an action plan for issues raised in the memorandum.

(5) Proposed exchange of asylum seekers for refugees between Malaysia and Australia

The Malaysian Bar released the following press statements to denounce the arrangement:

(a) “Asylum seekers and refugees are not commodities to be traded” (dated 9 May 2011); and
(b) “Home Minister must walk the PM’s talk in respect of refugee deal with Australia” (dated 3 June 2011).

Following that, the Office Bearers and representatives of SMRIA met officials from the International Court of Justice, Refugee Council of Australia and UNHCR Malaysia, in separate meetings to discuss and exchange views on the arrangement of exchange of asylum seekers between Malaysia and Australia.

SMRIA will organise a roundtable discussion in November 2011 on this matter.

(6) 60th anniversary of the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and World Refugee Day celebrated on 20 June 2011

On World Refugee Day 2011, the Malaysian Bar issued a press statement entitled “Refugees: Save them from a different kind of hell” (dated 20 June 2011).

The memorandum entitled “Developing a Comprehensive Policy Framework for Refugees and Asylum-Seekers” was released to the press in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and World Refugee Day. The document was forwarded to the Prime Minister’s office and the Ministry of Home Affairs urging them to look into the plight of asylum seekers and refugees.

M Ramachelvam

Chairperson

Subcommittee on Migrants, Refugees and Immigration Affairs

Dated 26 Aug 2011

Source : www.malaysianbar.org.my

RM575,400 to help fund mission

Contribution to support humanitarian effort in Somalia

Datuk Ahmad A. Talib (second from right) presenting a mock cheque to Dr Hariyati Shahrima Abdul Majid. With them are (from left) Mercy Malaysia Relief Operations head Edward Hew Cheong Yew, Mercy Malaysia executive director Zahrah Yaacob and New Straits Times Press corporate communications head Wan Abdullah Wan Nawi.

1 / 1

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Medical Relief Society (Mercy Malaysia) has received RM575,401 from the Tabung Bencana NSTP-Media Prima to help fund its mission in Somalia.

The cheque was presented by Media Prima Bhd News and Editorial Operations executive director Datuk Ahmad A. Talib to Mercy Malaysia assistant honorary secretary Dr Hariyati Shahrima Abdul Majid at Balai Berita here yesterday.

Dr Hariyati said the contribution would be used to support the organisation's existing humanitarian effort in the war-torn country.

"Thanks to the generosity of the public, we will be able to reach out to the 471,000 displaced victims of war in Mogadishu and provide them with food, sanitation and healthcare."

Mercy Malaysia has so far established mobile medical clinics in two refugee camps as well as a supplementary feeding centre, run by partners Somalia Young Doctors Association and Muslim Aid respectively.

Dr Hariyati said the operations cost Mercy Malaysia US$133,984 (RM424,167), excluding a newly-implemented psychosocial programme for Somali children which costs US$50,000.

She added it was important for Malaysians and other organisations to help make this mission a success by continuing to donate to the fund.

Meanwhile, Media Prima Bhd is the first media group in the country to send journalists to Mercy Malaysia's specialised training for volunteers on humanitarian relief missions.

Last Friday, media staff from the New Straits Times, Berita Harian, Harian Metro, New Straits Times Press Photo Department, TV3, Astro Awani, Petronas and UMW Toyota took part in the basic mission training course.

The three-day two-night course, the third held this year and conducted by Mercy Malaysia and General Operation Force (GOF) trainers, was held the GOF camp in Ulu Kinta, Perak.

Mercy Malaysia vice-president Associate Prof Dr Mohamed Ikram Mohamed Salleh said they invited Media Prima to participate as it was important for media practitioners to be properly trained when covering stories in war zones and during disasters.

Last Monday, Deputy Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum told Parliament that government would assist media organisations to train their journalists and photographers assigned to high risk areas.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

1,000 Kachins Flee to IDP Camps

In October, Burmese people staged a protest in front of Burmese embassy in Malaysia, calling for the end of government military offensives in Kachin State. (Photo: Reuters)

More than 1,000 villagers in southern Kachin State have taken shelter in makeshift camps in the jungle after fleeing their homes to avoid being caught in the crossfire of an intensifying conflict between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and Burmese government forces.
Relief workers say the internally displaced persons (IDPs) in question have fled in the last few days and are from five villages around Mansi Township, some 25 km southeast of Bhamo in southernmost Kachin State, close to the Shan State and Chinese borders.
The relief groups accuse the Burmese government of denying the UN and intentional organizations access to the IDP camps to deliver humanitarian assistance.
Kaw Ja, a member of a Kachin youth group which is assisting refugees and IDPs at the Sino-Burmese border, said that the number of IDPs had reached 1,187 by Tuesday, and that they had been separated into six camps near the border behind KIA front lines.
“In this camp alone, there are 400 refugees,” he said. “They are currently sheltering in temporary makeshift tents and sharing whatever food they have brought with them.”
“We are not able to adequately supply the IDPs, and in the long run they will face food shortages. They presently have no support,” he said.
A recently arrived IDP named Churchman said he and 180 fellow villagers from Mansi Township had fled in a hurry, and that many had run away without carrying any supplies. He said some had sheltered with relatives in other villages, but that he and his family had joined hundreds of other villagers in seeking refuge at a camp in Nawng Tau, near the Chinese border.
“Our living conditions are alright,” said Churchman. “However, we are worried about food supplies.”
Villagers fleeing from conflict in Kachin State are not recognized as refugees by the Chinese government and cannot therefore cross the border freely, said KIA spokesman La Nan.
Mai Ja, a local relief worker, told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that the offensive is intensifying and more troops are being deployed into the region.
The exodus of people from their villages across Kachin State began on June 9 due to the resumption of hostilities between the two sides. There now estimated to be some 30,000 IDPs sheltering at nine camps in and around the main town of Laiza and seven camps in Maija Yang on the Shan-Kachin border.
The villagers say they fear being captured, abused or even killed by Burmese soldiers; accounts are rife of human rights abuses by troops in the area.
Mai Ja said that Tuesday marks the 19th day that a 28-year-old Kachin woman from Moemot Township has been held in captivity by government troops from Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 321.
“The troops seized the girl, her husband, their infant and her father-in-law while they were returning home from their fields with maize,” she said. “The others were later released, but not the woman.”
According to a report by the Kachin Women's Association Thailand, on Oct. 8, soldiers from LIB 74, 276 and 601 arrested eight males aged between 17 and 65 years from Namlim Pa village in Bhanmaw District. The eight were forced to work as porters, carrying army supplies and weapons.
Villagers often have to carry sacks of rice, food and heavy weapons, frequently have their hands tied, and may be forced to walk all day on very little water and food, the report said.
A UK MP, Andrew Mitchell, the country's secretary of state for international development, visits Burma this week. Burma Campaign UK has called on him to do more to ensure British aid reaches internal refugees who have fled increased attacks by the Burmese army over the past year.
Burma Campaign UK said that almost 150,000 people in Burma have been forced to flee their homes in the past year because of internal conflicts, and that the Burmese government is severely restricting access to these internal refugees by the UN and other aid agencies, resulting in a shortage of food, shelter, clothing and medicine.

A Day Out with Myanmar Refugee Kids

By Haider Yutim

It was 'a day out' to remember for 28 Myanmar refugee children from the Zomi ethnic when they had a fun-filled event which was organized by International Movement for a Just World (JUST), an NGO that seeks to develop global awareness of the injustices within the existing system.

The children aged between 7 to 12, were fed with various fun activities including group games and futsal during the event held last Saturday evening on 12 November at 1 Utama Shopping Center's roof top. By the looks of those children, they seemed very excited being able to go out and spend quality time among themselves.

Vice president of Zomi Association of Malaysia who's, fondly known as Khampi (left), when met by Malaysian Digest described this as an opportunity for those kids to spend their time outside.

"Because most of the times, they stayed at their apartments and studied there at night and sleep there... sometimes we just arrange the tables and let them do their activties there.

"So every day.. they spend it in their rooms and not allowed to attend public schools because going out for them is quite risky," said Khampi who is also in charge of the children in Malaysia.

Education Restores Their Hope

Through the organization, the children were also taught English, Mathematics and Sciene despite limited space and teaching materials. He said if

one drops by to their place, one can see that they don't have as much equipments as a normal teaching center has, but nevertheless the children are still fed with as much education they can get, as it is important to them because it restores their hope.

"Education holds their future... that's why we are trying our best for these kids," said Khampi.

Meanwhile, program co-ordinator from JUST, Helen Ng (left) during a brief interview said that this is the first time her organization had done such a program involving Myanmar kids. Nevertheless, she said this is not the first time they had done a program for children where two years ago they visited a children's home in Klang where they had donated food and spent time with them by playing games and singing songs.

They even did a similar program last year where they visted a center for children, disabled and old-folks and spent time with them like they did in the previous center.

The kids were handled by a team of volunteers consisting of local youths as well as foriegners from Inter-civilizational Youth Engagement Program (IYEP).

"The adults will play with the children to make them feel wanted as they don't often get visitors and stuff like that, so we did that and we even had performances by splitting into two groups where one went to the old-folks and one went to the children," said Ng to Malaysian Digest where she said for this year they decided to do something different by taking the kids out instead of them going over to their place.

Malaysians Doing a Good Job in Looking After Refugees

Commenting on the country's treatment towards refugees, she said although Malaysia does not encourage the entering of these refugees, but at the same time they don't turn them out and that Malaysians are looking after them very well.

"Hopefully within a year or two they would have a better policy... but for now whatever the Malaysians can do to help to look after them, that's what's happening.

"The Malaysian people are looking after them very well," said Ng.

PTA Should Help Out Too

However, she said it would be great if all Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) especially in urban areas to hold special classes for these refugee children and the PTA can also collect funds to pay for those teachers who teach those children.

She stressed that it is important for them to have an education so that they can move forward as it is not their fault that they're here.

In Malaysia, life for a refugee is quite challenging as they cannot work legally and most of them live in fear of detention, despite having received a refugee card from United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

While there are services such as Zomi Association of Malaysia and such, to help the refugees, they still feel vulnerable every time they leave their apartments.

Nevertheless, for these children all they know is that they need to live, play and study like a normal children as they have yet to understand the meaning of 'refugee' or the reason why they're here as in a children's world, there are no conflicts, war or even racism like the ones exist in the adult world.

Source : malaysiandigest.com

Undocumented Children in Malaysia Barred From School

Two-year-old Arfaisal Marsaleh, a stateless child, holds on to his mother in a slum village in Kinarut, in Malaysia's Sabah state on Borneo island (file photo).

Tens of thousands of undocumented immigrant children in the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo Island are not being allowed to go to school. Efforts to change this are under way. Early this year, a community-built education center at a refugee village was inaugurated for 300 undocumented children who previously had never attended school. With support from UNICEF and the Malaysian government, officials hope to replicate this model in other deprived communities.

Traveling to the seaside refugee village of Kampung Numbak, north of Sabah’s capital, Kota Kinabalu, is a gut-churning experience.

The tin-roofed wooden houses in this fishing community are built on stilts to prevent them from being submerged by water. Low tide waters reveal a sea of garbage. Wooden bridges, some with rotten and missing planks, connect the village streets. Small stores selling a range of items, from soft drinks and basic food to clothing and electronic wares, line the streets.

At the end of the main road is the Kampung Numbak Education Center, a simple structure built on stilts.

“In this school, there are only children that are undocumented, said U.N. Children’s Fund Representative to Malaysia Hans Olsen. "There were parents who wanted to have their children here in this school, which happened to be in the middle of the community, but they were not admitted if they had no documents.”

Stateless children

Kampung Numbak’s population of some 8,000 people is a mix of Malay nationals, refugee and undocumented migrant workers, mainly from the Philippines. Hans Olsen says Malay children can go to government-run schools, but children without birth certificates or other proof of legal residency are not given the same privilege.

“The children that are here had not been to school before," he said. "They were left behind when the other children went to the government schools. So, when you come into the classroom here in Kampung Numbak, the children you see at their desks, before the beginning of this year, they did not have access to school at all, none of them had gone to school before.”

A 2009 study by the Ministry of Education found nearly 44,000 undocumented children between the ages of seven and 17 were not enrolled in school. This figure is believed to be grossly underestimated.

Exploitation

Children who do not go to school are easily exploited. Many are forced to perform child labor. Others wind up on the streets, become involved with drugs, petty crime and are exposed to abuse.

UNICEF Monitoring and Educational Officer Nur Anuar Muthalib says education may not be a panacea. But, it can help children avoid many of these pitfalls.

“From our view, children are children," said the officer. "Their place is in school. It is not the children’s fault that they are in our country and not able to attend schooling. It is their right.”

Teachers' committment

There are more than 40 children in this classroom. The teachers are young, generally inexperienced, and poorly paid. But, they take their jobs seriously and are committed to helping their pupils learn. One teacher, Amira Binti Asen Abdullah, says she is proud of the progress her students have made in such a short time.

“Before this, the children just hang around playing," she said. "After this, because they have this school, they come here every day and study. Sometimes in the evening, they also come here. So, the students ... very, very love to come to school every day.”

Students agree. Before coming to this school, 11-year-old Normida says she could not read or count. Now, she likes going to school. She especially likes Islamic studies and wants to be a teacher when she grows up.

Thirteen-year-old Azali has never attended school. He is excited to be in class. He says he is learning a lot and wants to become a soldier.

Twelve-year-old Benhar has greater ambitions. He wants to be a money-maker. He wants to be a millionaire.

UNICEF and Malay officials say their aim is to replicate the Kampung Numbak model in other deprived communities in Sabah. Their next project, they say, will be to construct a school for an estimated 1,000 undocumented children in the refugee village of Kampung Bahagia, where the existing building is in a deplorable state.

"Open Letter from 3 Prolong Burmese Detainees in Australian Detention

"A Call for Humanitarian Intervention"

We are recognized refugees of Burma. Our ethnic minority is unknown to the world, yet is one of the most oppressed minority group in Burma, the sole ethnic who has been declined any rights for an identity. We are de-facto stateless. Remember our race: we are Rohingyas.

It was out of ultimate survival that we embark in a boat hoping for Australian protection and mercy. The trip was promising pain and potentially death but it was far better than continuing enduring abuses and extreme violations of human rights in the countries of transit. Although we had refugee status in Malaysia, Malaysia was never better than Burma for our people.

As we hope for a life that we never had the right to have, a safe land that we never walked on, where we could breathe without fear, we remained locked in Australian detention until May 2010, when we were finally confirmed as refugee.

We thought the end of life of nightmare was over and we would born as new man.

Yet we were kept in detention. The process of our case was not over and required security clearance by ASIO, the Australian Security Intelligence Organization. Two years have passed since our arrival in Australia and yet we remained detained. Although our physical health was maintained by constant check, our mental health has been severely affected as a consequence of the injustice of our mandatory detention.

We have a strong feeling of indirect discrimination and unfair treatment in processing our cases while both DIAC and ASIO uphold proper schedules which complete every process of asylum claim within 90 days with respect and dignity for the vast priority groups.

After a long wait of two years, we have been given a rejection letter as negative security assessment under Australian Security Act 1979-section (4) that stated to find a third country. This news has devastated us.

Why have we been rejected? What sort of security threat are we considered as? Rohingyas are terrorized by the military junta and there are no links that we know of to any terror organization. Our minority is surviving and we , as part of this community have also spend each day of our life trying to survive.

We have no alternative or way to appeal to this decision as our stateless and illegal status in Australia does not provide us any legal ground. Although we are in Australia, we have no access to Justice to defend our case and we are left languishing in unlawful detention for unlimited period ahead of us. Our full life in detention ahead. We are also not allowed to be placed into an alternative and softer detention like community detention and we are continuously placed in tight security were we are submitted to tempestuous intimidations although we are not criminal, just normal citizen of the world like most of you. And like anybody, we feel stress facing injustice and this leads to mental health issue, stress, depression, nightmare and more. We urge domestic and international legal system to review its policy in regards to stateless people and the fate for stateless refugees that are denied security clearance. We are human, our life is precious to us and you cannot just store us in a box until we die. We hope for a future.

We can't also help to feel injustice and inconsistency when we witness the release of 4 Bangladeshi people who claimed to be Burmese. They are granted visa and released earlier than genuine Burmese refugees. According to immigration the 3 other Rohingyans in NIDC detention are also awaited 2 years for security clearances when ASIO itself told a parliamentary enquiry in October that it is not a requirement under the ASIO Act for boat arrivals to be detained during security processing.

We have respect for Australian policy abroad defending the refugees rights and working hand in hand with UNHCR when it comes to refugees fleeing Burma to reach any country that would give them protection. Unfortunately, the plight of Burmese does not end at the Burma border and Malaysia is a country of much oppression for refugees and Malaysia is another dictator to refugees.

Unfortunately , Rohingyas are rarely granted any visa to go to a third country, which is the reason why most of Burmese coming by boat are Rohingyas. This is how we came by boat. Today, the oppression of Rohingyas continues and has reached the soil of Australia that we considered a democratic country, respectful of human rights. Today, our life is hold forever in between walls, for no reason except ignorance.

We have no other ways to appeal any one, just through your kind humanitarian intervention to help us to get out of inappropriate, unreasonable, unlawful and arbitrary detention. Our lives are at risk, languishing in a legal limbo. We hope our voices will be heard, we hope all humanitarian quarters including resettlement countries will come and gather to help us through humanitarian intervention.

Today we are trapped, our past is dark. Our present is dark, our future is dark. Although we would like to taste life, Presently, death seems to be our only solution to finally find peace.

Please help us to find another solution than death.

Sincerely,

Shoef (Boat ID: VAU-2, in Villawood detention of Sydney)
Razamya (Boat ID: SEA-10, in Villawood detention of Sydney) Mufis (Boat ID: SEA-3, in Meribyrnong detention of Melbourne)

- Asian Tribune -

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Burma regime faces calls to release Chin political prisoners

Transforming lives among the Burmese Chin of New Delhi

Remarkable photo exhibition is showing in Edinburgh through to the end of this month, featuring depictions of the Burmese Chin people by award-winning photographer Bharat Choudhary.

The show, which runs from 6-30 November 2011, is being sponsored by the Scottish charity Burma Assist, headed up by Chris Barr, which supports a Chin community tailoring training centre in New Delhi, India.

The official launch of the exhibition is taking place from 5-8pm on Saturday 12 November at Cafe Camino, located at St Mary's Catholic Cathedral in the Scottish capital (1 Little King Street, Edinburgh, EH1 3JD).

In addition to the photos, there will be fine refreshments, a talk from the Burma Assist CEO, a DVD illustrating the situation of the Chin people and the charity's work, and a sale of Christmas cards and craft gifts.

Burma Assist's work is humanitarian relief aimed at helping a particular community - not least the women among them, whose livelihoods and status are particularly involved.

The Chin are one of the major ethnic groups originally from Burma (Myanmar) in Southeast Asia. For decades, they have suffered at the hands of the military regime there. As a predominantly Christian community, the Chin people are especially vulnerable as a result of their minority status - and many have sought refuge in other countries

Some 60,000 Chins live in extremely difficult conditions in India, existing on very scarce resources and sharing the plight of the local poor, plus some additional discrimination in housing, employment and healthcare.

Appropriately, the Burma Assist and Bharat Choudhary exhibition is entitled 'Searching for Home: Transforming Lives Among the Burmese Chin in Delhi'.

Human rights campaigners have called for the immediate release of ethnic Chin political prisoners held by the military regime in Burma (Mynamar).
They have urged President Thein Sein's government to free a range of people imprisoned for their political activity, including Kam Lam Khup, Kam Khan Khual, Go Pian Sing, Khun Tun Oo, Saing Ngunt Lwin, Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Kyi, U Nyi Puh, and Tin Min Thut.
Seven Chin are believed to have been among the 6,359 political prisoners released on 12 October 2011 as part of an amnesty programme instituted by the Myanmar government - following lobbying from international human rights groups, including Amnesty International Australia and Human Rights Watch.
Burmese refugees have been continuing to flee to neighbouring countries such as India, Thailand and Malaysia.
Last year, Graham Thom, Amnesty International Australia's National Refugee Coordinator, was able to visit the Indian state of Mizoram to talk to Burmese Chin refugees.
The visit was organised by the Centre for Refugee Research at the University of New South Wales as part of a cultural exchange focusing on human rights issues, including gender persecution.
"We heard appalling accounts of the systematic rape by the Burmese military of Chin women and the family’s powerlessness to stop these attacks," he said.
Most Chin refugees enter India across the land border with Mizoram State, and this is where the majority of the refugee population has settled. Mizoram is one of the most urbanised states in India, and refugees generally gravitate towards cities and towns despite coming from largely agricultural backgrounds, reports Refugees International.
* A photo exhibition, 'Searching for Home: Transforming Lives Among the Burmese Chin in Delhi', is showing in Edinburgh through to the end of this month, featuring the work of award-winning photographer Bharat Choudhary. Its official launch is taking place from 5-8pm on Saturday 12 November 2011 at Cafe Camino, located at St Mary's Catholic Cathedral in the Scottish capital (1 Little King Street, Edinburgh, EH1 3JD).

For more infomation, http://assistingburma.blogspot.com/

Chins in Norway Contributed for Kachin Refugees

Chin people living in Norway have come together in an effort to make contributions toward helping Kachin victims of the ongoing armed conflict against the Kachin Independence Army by Burma Army soldiers.

The Norway Chin Christian Federation (NCCF) announced last Sunday that a total donation of 91,400 Norwegian Kroner (about 16,119.50 US dollars) was collected among Chin churches, fellowships, families and individuals across Norway.

Pu Daniel, Treasurer of NCCF, said in his email: "We are pleased to say that Chin people in Norway contributed more than we had expected for our brothers, the Kachins. Our collection will be delivered to Kachin State by responsible Chin pastors in Burma."

It is claimed that Chairman of the Zomi Baptist Convention (ZBC), Rev. M. Thawng Kam and Pi Dar Nawn Tial are set to to meet with members of the Kachin Baptist Convention in Rangoon, former capital of Burma.

Sources confirmed that Chin churches based in Melbourne, Australia and Chin refugees in Malaysia under the leadership of the Malay Chin Christian Union (MCCU) are making their efforts in raising awareness and fund for Kachin refugees and IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons).

The ongoing armed conflict between Burma Army soldiers and Kachin Independence Army (KIA) has escalated in recent days, resulting in the displacement of an estimated 30,000 people, according to sources.

A Chin NGO worker, who recently returned from a trip to Kachin State, told Chinland Guardian: "The humanitarian situation in Kachin State is devastating and the people victimized by the ongoing conflict are in urgent need of relief aid."

In Aizawl, Mizoram State of India, a newly formed humanitarian group for Kachin refugees have organized a door-to-door and church collections of donation among local Chin churches and individuals.

It is estimated that there are more than 1,200 Chins living in Norway, most of them being resettled as refugees from Malaysia under the UNHCR resettlement programme after having fled various forms of brutalities and rights violations committed by Burma Army soldiers in Chin State.

Fleeing Thai floods: Burmese migrant's story of extortion, threats

Migrant workers from Myanmar sort fish after unloading the catch from a boat at the port of Mahachai, near Bangkok September 24, 2011. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun

BANGKOK (AlertNet) – When flood waters threatened to engulf *Tun Win's home close to the Thai capital Bangkok, he decided it was time to escape and avoid the worst flooding the country has seen in half a century.

A migrant from neighbouring Myanmar, the 22-year-old made plans to travel to Mae Sot and stay with some family in the bustling town in northwest Thailand, which has become the main gateway for refugees and migrants from the former Burma.

Tun Win almost didn't make it. His journey was punctuated by intimidation, extortion and physical abuse by Thai officials and a broker who demanded money for his release with five others.

"We'd heard of extortion and threats faced by migrants before we left but we couldn't stay in Bangkok," Tun Win, who declined to give his real name, told AlertNet by phone from from Mae Sot.

“We also know we might get deported if we are arrested but we thought at least we would get to see our families in Myanmar then,” he added.

Thailand is battling to deal with flooding that has killed more than 500 people and disrupted the lives of 2.45 million. The disaster is the first big test for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinwatra, who took over this year.

Yet the government has already faced criticism for ignoring migrant workers caught up in the disaster.

Many are in Thailand illegally, but even the legitimate migrants fear arrest or becoming victims of extortion by Thai and Burmese border officials and opportunist mafia gangs. Many of those with legal documents are not allowed to leave their province of employment.

"The Thai Government has up until now made no genuine effort at a policy level to respond to the plight of migrant flood victims," said Andy Hall, a migration policy expert at the Mahidol University.

The government has failed to assist migrants trapped in houses and factories or encourage them to travel to and stay in the only official shelter provided, he said.

"The Thai government has through its inaction opened the way for brokers and other individuals to profit from the desperate plight of confused and homeless migrant flood victims," he told AlertNet.

EXTORTION

Tun Win left Mahachai - an industrial area in Samut Sakan province next to Bangkok that is home to large numbers of both legal and illegal workers from Myanmar – with his younger brother and four female friends.

They left by bus just before midnight on Nov. 3. But the next morning, at a checkpoint before Mae Sot, they were ordered to get off the bus by the police.

"The police accused us of being illegal aliens because the girls only had work permits which do not allow them to travel outside of Pathum Thani province," Tun Win said.

"I showed my student card which is still valid and explained to them that we’re flood victims and just wanted to go to Mae Sot to stay with our families during this time but the official would not listen."

After agreeing to pay 300 baht (about $10) each, a policeman drove the group to Mae Sot - where he passed them on to a Thai broker.

TRAPPED

There they were targeted for extortion again.

The broker demanded 1,000 baht each (about $33) for their release, threatening to take them to the immigration office and then to ethnic militia camps in Myanmar unless they paid up.

Negotiations to reduce the sum proved futile. Tun Win and his brother paid and were released but the broker then told the four women they would now have to pay 5,000 baht in total.

"It was too much money and they refused," Tun Win said. "But the broker didn't take them to the immigration office either. They were just trapped in the house and their mobile phones were confiscated."

One girl managed to hide her phone and made contact with Tun Win. By then it was evening.

"It was already dark and we were worried something would happen to them so we approached the People's Volunteer Association – a Mae Sot-based organisation helping migrants – and went to the police."

NGO workers and the police confronted the broker, who released the women and returned the men their money, but not before repeatedly slapping the girl whose phone was used for communication.

“When the girl told us afterwards what happened, we thought such abuse shouldn't occur and went to the police again," Tun Win said.

But they had all but given up hope of any legal proceedings against either the broker or the check point official.

"I think the police and the broker negotiated something that night. We haven’t heard anything about it since,” Tun Win said.

* Name has been changed to protect the identity.

Registration for Refugees in Malaysia Officially Announced

After months of confusion among refugees community, UNHCR on Monday officially announced that it will undertake a joint exercise with Malaysian Government to register refugees and asylum seekers staying in the country.

The move, expected to take off in January next year, involves some 94,800 refugees and asylum-seekers whose status are already confirmed by the UNHCR in Malaysia.

UNHCR representative Alan Vernon said that the inclusion of refugees’ identity in a government database is expected to lead to greater protection for the refugees particularly against arrest and detention as their identities could then be easily verified by law enforcement officials.

"This will also help prevent prosecution of persons holding UNHCR documents for immigration offences or deportation. It will also help address the problem of fraudulent UNHCR identification cards," he said in a statement on Sunday.

The joint exercise will be carried out in major cities where the refugees are located involving Malaysia Home and Foreign ministries, immigration, Malaysia National Security Council and the UNHCR.

It was reported that Malaysian government and UNHCR started the registration program for certain groups of Burmese national refugees as early as August this year.

The registration exercises started without an official announcement by both Malaysian authority and UNHCR, causing confusion among different group of refugees who do not know when and how to register.

It's also causing grave concerns in fear of deportation to Burma over a registration document issued by the Malaysian Immigration which contains 'returning to your country of origin' written in local Malay language.

Source : Chinland

With registration, Myanmar refugees no longer see the need to hide

PETALING JAYA: It has always been a cat-and-mouse game with the authorities for Myanmar refugees and asylum-seekers in Malaysia.

Siang Chung, 58, has been arrested and detained three times in the six years that he was in Malaysia.

“Once, I had to spend four months in jail because there was no proof that I was a refugee,” said the father of six, who only received his United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) card after his third arrest in 2008.

Record purposes: Myanmar asylum-seekers and refugees waiting for their turn to be registered with the Chin Refugee Committee in Kuala Lumpur.

He still lives in fear that his family members, who have not received their card, could be arrested.

Another asylum-seeker who only wanted to be known as Awi claimed that his employer exploited him because he did not have a refugee card.

“My boss would threaten me and refused to pay my salary,” he said. “I am happy that the Malaysian Government is doing something to help us.”

Awi hoped that after his registration, he would not be exploited anymore.

Phun Hmung, 40, was lucky because when he first arrived in Malaysia, UNHCR was conducting mobile registrations.

He received his refugee card almost immediately and has a job servicing air-conditioning units for the past three years.

Chin Refugee Committee medical coordinator Patrick Sang Bawi Hnin said most asylum-seekers were afraid of raids because many had been arrested in the past.

“Some were detained for months and sent off to detention camps for indefinite periods,” he said.

Patrick said with the new exercise, arrested asylum-seekers and refugees would be able to prove their status.

“We have had a hard life. We are thankful to the Malaysian Government for helping us and we hope this move will improve the quality of life for us.”

Shan Refugee Organisation chairman Sai Kham Noon said: “Sometimes we would be stopped by the police on the road and asked if we’re illegal immigrants. They would not accept our UNHCR refugee card, so the registration would be a good move since they could easily identify us.”

The move to register refugees and asylum-seekers is expected to commence in January and will involve some 94,800 of them.

Source : TheStar

Monday, November 7, 2011

ach day's the same under foreign guard

You've been detained for years and nobody can tell you when you'll get out. You are known by your number and you are a refugee, ALISON BEVEGE reports.

EVERY day you wake around 2pm.

Not because you're lazy but because it doesn't make a difference if your eyes are open or closed.

There's nothing to do and nowhere to go.

It was the same yesterday. Tomorrow and the day after will be the same.

You've been detained for years and nobody can tell you when you'll get out.

You are known by your number, the number of the boat you washed in on, and you are a refugee.
Not an asylum seeker or an economic migrant, but a bona fide refugee.
That is what one man says life is like in the Northern Immigration Detention Centre for him and for others who have had their refugee status officially granted, but who await security clearance from the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO).
It is necessary to check.
In July, federal police were called in to investigate Burmese refugee Htoo Htoo Han who said he had been a war criminal and had killed 24 people in Burma. The Department of Immigration says it won't release any detainees into the community unless they pose no risk and won't abscond. It says it gives priority to unaccompanied minors, families and vulnerable low-risk clients.
But the wait is too long for some.
This month a Sri Lankan Tamil man - granted refugee status but awaiting security clearance - died in Villawood detention centre in New South Wales after drinking poison. He was the sixth person to kill himself in detention in little more than a year.
The man was one of 462 certified refugees around Australia that federal Immigration Minister Chris Bowen has said are awaiting security clearance.
Nestled in the scrub off the highway near Berrimah on the outskirts of Darwin, the Northern Immigration Detention Centre (NIDC) houses 366 detainees, including 35 foreign fishermen.
Morale has been drifting lower over the years as numbers of unauthorised arrivals increased and cases drag on.
"We don't know why it takes so long," a male detainee, who cannot be named, told the NT News. "We don't know exactly what's going on - it never ends.
"You cannot understand what is going on with the process - not even (get) updated info about the case."
The Immigration Department assigns case managers to resolve clients' immigration status and to answer any questions they may have about their case. But those who work at the centre say often the case managers don't have the answers, so clients remain in limbo.
"If I can have two lives and be reborn again, then I would want to kill myself. I'm very distressed and very upset. I'm not happy to be alive in this system," the man said.
He is not alone in his despair. There were 42 threats, three attempts and 23 cases of actual self-harm among detainees at the NIDC from April to June this year, according to Senate Estimates figures. There have been 47 hunger strikes and 16 assaults.
It has been described as a pressure cooker.
Those who visit the centre regularly say sleeping tablets and anti-depressant medication are being prescribed en masse with a majority of inmates taking the drugs.
The Department of Immigration denied a majority are taking anti-depressants but have refused to give the number. Neither would they say how many have been prescribed sleeping pills. They said all medication is prescribed by doctors for legitimate clinical reasons.
The NT News has filed a Freedom of Information request to find the truth.
The NIDC is home to three Rohingya Burmese men, all granted refugee status in early 2010 and who await ASIO clearance.
Two of them have been in detention for two years, the third, 22 months.
The men have a special insight into despair at the centre after they were moved to a small compound in the facility where people who have attempted self-harm are also transferred.
They were involved in a melee earlier this year and as a result, they face Darwin Magistrates Court on January 31.
"Two months in here and (I've seen) more than 30 people here for self-harm and then attempted suicide," said one of the men who cannot be identified. "They attempt self-harm, hanging - they come from hospital here for one to two weeks.
"All are related to mental health. They cannot control what's going on so they try to do something.
"Because they have been a long time in detention they can't find any alternative way to get out and they express it by hanging themselves.
"Even you write to immigration or the immigration minister and they don't care, so they show something. They cannot hold on more and that is the way that they show."
Care workers are concerned for one of the Rohingya men in particular.
Unable to support his family overseas, his wife left him and married another. He has become deeply depressed and worried about his children, believed to be in Malaysia.
He has been sitting on the NIDC roof on and off for the last two weeks.
Care workers say security guards throw tennis balls at roof-top protesters every 10 minutes to encourage them to come down but the distressed man doesn't care.
The unnamed detainee, not on the roof, told the NT News that most inmates at the centre are afraid to speak to the media in case it affects their case - but he has despaired.
"If you follow the rules and wait quietly, nothing," he said. "We have to wise Australian people as to what's going on."
Support is available for anyone who may be suffering depression or other mental illnesses by calling Lifeline on 131 114

Source : www.ntnews.com.au

Registration of UNHCR refugees and asylum-seekers in January

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will start the registration of asylum-seekers and refugees holding UNHCR documents in January, the UN Refugee Agency said.

This follows an agreement between Malaysia and UNHCR on the registration of the asylum seekers. The exercise will be carried out progressively in major cities where refugees are located.

It will be a joint effort involving the Home and Foreign Ministries, Immigration Department, National Security Council and UNHCR.

"UNHCR will communicate closely with refugee communities on the timing and location of the registration exercise," said Alan Vernon, UNHCR Representative.

"This exercise will continue until all UNHCR refugees and asylum-seekers are registered."

Vernon clarified that this exercise involves the registration of asylum-seekers and refugees, and is separate from the Home Ministry's 6P legalisation of illegal foreigners programme.

There are currently some 95,000 refugees and asylum-seekers registered with UNHCR in Malaysia, fleeing persecution and conflict from many countries including Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq.

As part of this registration exercise, and consistent with similar exercises UNHCR has conducted with other Governments around the world, both parties have agreed to ensure the confidentiality of the biographical information that will be gathered from the UNHCR document holders.

Source : TheStar

Government to register UNHCR refugees next year

By Melissa Chi

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 — Malaysia will start cataloguing next year some 95,000 refugees and asylum-seekers registered with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) here, many of whom are fleeing persecution and conflict from countries including Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq.
The UNHCR announced today that the exercise beginning in January will be carried out progressively throughout the country in major cities where refugees are located.
“UNHCR will communicate closely with refugee communities on the timing and location of the registration exercise,” Alan Vernon, a UNHCR representative, said in a statement.
“This exercise will continue until all UNHCR refugees and asylum-seekers are registered.”
Vernon clarified that the registration exercise involves the registration of asylum-seekers and refugees, and is separate from the government’s ongoing 6P Migration Management Programme that focuses on migrants.
The 6P amnesty programme is aimed at helping government identify the number of illegal immigrants in Malaysia.
Once identified, the government will decide on the number of workers needed to help Malaysia’s economy and grant them temporary work permits. The rest will be repatriated.
“UNHCR regards this as a significant opportunity to improve the situation of refugees. The inclusion of their bio data within a government database will lead to greater protection for refugees, particularly against arrest and detention as their identities can be easily verified by law enforcement officials,” said Vernon.
“This will also help prevent prosecution of persons holding UNHCR documents for immigration offences or deportation. It will also help address the problem of fraudulent UNHCR identification cards.”
Malaysia also announced last month that Myanmarese detained for minor immigration crimes will be sent back to Myanmar to reduce the crowded depots in the country. The same will apply to Malaysian detainees in Myanmar.
The move drew comparisons with the failed refugee swap deal with Canberra, dubbed the “Malaysian Solution”, where Australia would send 800 asylum seekers to Malaysia for processing in return for accepting 4,000 refugees from Malaysia.
“While Malaysia is not yet a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, UNHCR very much appreciates the co-operation we enjoy with the Malaysian government and looks forward to continuing discussions on how to strengthen refugee protection in Malaysia including creating opportunities for legal work for refugees as well as enhanced access to education and health services,” Vernon said.
He added that both parties have agreed to ensure the confidentiality of the biographical information that will be gathered from the UNHCR document holders.
“UNHCR is also grateful for the close co-operation with the Malaysian government, in particular the Ministry of Home Affairs, in both preventing arrest of refugees and asylum-seekers and securing their release if arrested,” he said.

Source : The Malaysian Insider

Ratify Refugee Convention, Govt urged

PETALING JAYA: Human rights activists and the Bar Council want the Government to be a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention before registering asylum-seekers and refugees in the country.

Suhakam commissioner James Nayagam said such a move would put Malaysia on a positive platform in the international scene.

He said the new registration exercise would lower the number of refugee and asylum-seeker arrests as law enforcers could verify their identities quickly.

“It will also help reduce cases of immigrants who enter the country to work but produce fake United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) documents when caught,” he said in an interview yesterday.

He hoped the registration process would be access-friendly for refugees and asylum-seekers and urged the Government to provide them with one-stop centres.

Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee said the registration exercise was a step in the right direction but more needed to be done.

“We need to enact laws to promote and protect internationally-recognised rights of asylum-seekers and their rights to livelihood, healthcare and education,” he said.

“The Prime Minister wants us to be the best democracy, and if this is to be so, then we must demonstrate compassion on how we treat the vulnerable and weak.”

Lim said amendments to laws like the Immigration Act was necessary to recognise the legal status of asylum-seekers.

Amnesty International-Malaysia executive director Nora Murat also said Malaysia should agree to the convention before proceeding with the new registration exercise.

Association for the Promotion of Human Rights president Tan Sri Simon Sipaun said it was ironic that even with the registration, asylum-seekers were not recognised as refugees.

“How can you sign an agreement when you do not recognise them as refugees?” he asked, adding that asylum-seekers would still be treated as illegal immigrants even if they were registered.

Chin Refugee Committee co-ordinator Henry Pin Maunt Shwe said the agreement between the Government and UNHCR was a step in assuring safety of asylum-seekers and refugees.

“When they have registered, they can get a proper job and provide for their family.”

Source : TheStar

Registration a timely move, says Kohilan

PETALING JAYA: The exercise to register asylum-seekers and refugees in the country is a timely move, A. Kohilan Pillay said.

The Deputy Foreign Minister said it was crucial for the Government to know their exact number.

“We need to know how many of them are here and which countries they have come from,” said Kohilan of the joint exercise between Malaysia and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The exercise, scheduled to commence in January, will see the UNHCR working with the Home Ministry, Foreign Ministry, National Security Council and Immigration Department.

UNHCR representative Alan Vernon said the agreement was formulated after a series of meetings with the Government.

Source : TheStar

Refugee headcount

PETALING JAYA: For the first time, Malaysia will join hands with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and register refugees and asylum-seekers to better protect them.

The move, expected to commence in January, involves some 94,800 refugees and asylum-seekers.

“Having their biodata in the government database will ensure better protection for refugees especially against arrests and detentions,” said the UNHCR.

Other developments:

Deputy Foreign Minister A. Kohilan Pillay says the exercise is a “timely move”;

Human rights activists welcome the move, saying Malaysia should also be a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention; and

Bar Council says the decision is a step in the right direction but notes that more needs to be done.

Working for refugee rights

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia will undertake a joint exercise for the first time with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to register refugees and asylum seekers to ensure better protection for them.

The move, expected to take off in January, involves some 94,800 refugees and asylum-seekers whose status is already confirmed by the UNHCR in Malaysia.

The inclusion of their biodata within a government database is expected to lead to greater protection for the refugees, said UNHCR representative Alan Vernon, particularly against arrest and detention as their identities could then be easily verified by law enforcement officials.

“This will also help prevent prosecution of persons holding UNHCR documents for immigration offences or deportation. It will also help address the problem of fraudulent UNHCR identification cards,” Vernon said in a statement yesterday.

The exercise will be carried out progressively in major cities where the refugees are located.

The effort involves the Home and Foreign ministries, the Immigration Department, the National Security Council and the UNHCR.

Data from the refugee agency shows that most of the refugees registered with the UNHCR here are from Myanmar, numbering 87,000 persons or about 90% of the total asylum-seeker population in the country.

Others who have sought refuge in Malaysia are Sri Lankans (4,200), Somalis (1,000), Iraqis (720) and Afghans (440).

The data, last updated in September, shows that some 71% of refugees and asylum-seekers are men. Children also make up a significant part of the refugee community, numbering 19,200.

However, a large number of asylum-seekers are believed to be unregistered.

Vernon said the exercise would be separate from the Home Ministry’s ongoing 6P programme involving illegal immigrants.

The six-step programme, which comprises registration, legalisation, amnesty, supervision, enforcement and deportation has seen – as of last week – a total of 25,561 illegal immigrants being granted amnesty and leaving the country.

“While Malaysia is not yet a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, UNHCR very much appreciates the cooperation we enjoy with the Malaysian Government and look forward to continuing discussions on how to strengthen refugee protection in Malaysia, including creating opportunities for legal work for refugees as well as enhanced access to education and health services,” Vernon added.

The issue came to surface recently after the Malaysia-Australia refugee swap deal was shelved last month.

The majority of lawmakers in Australia were against legislation that would have enabled Australia to send 800 new boat arrivals to Malaysia in return for Australia resettling 4,000 registered refugees from Kuala Lumpur.