Rohingya families happy to celebrate Ramadan in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: Spending his third Ramadan in Malaysia, schoolteacher and Rohingya refugee Arfat Ganumia is not at all optimistic that the newly democratic Myanmar will be rolling out a welcome mat for the Rohingya anytime soon.

The forecast looks the same for this ethnic minority, even as Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) takes the mantle to build a democratic bedrock in formerly authoritarian Myanmar.

However, not all is gloomy.

Arfat, who teaches some 130 children at the Al-Akhlas Rohingya refugee school in Selayang, appreciates Malaysia for its peacefulness, tolerance and generosity, especially during this time of the year.

Back in Myanmar, he said the biggest challenge during Ramadan was for Muslims to perform congregational prayers at the mosque for the five daily prayers andtarawih.

“Sometimes we would get stopped and questioned when we headed to the mosque in a group,” said Arfat, 33, recalling three decades of Ramadan in Myanmar.

There were even times when they were attacked or arrested, he said.

In fact, the Law degree holder added, Rohingya families are happy to be able to celebrate the holy month as Malaysian Muslim families do. They can fast, cook, eat and pray together without worrying about systematic mistreatment due to their identity.

The Myanmar government’s ethnic pigeonholing scheme does not recognise the Rohingya as an ethnic group, causing them to be stateless.

“Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God), I have a good life in Malaysia. I have everything,” he said, grinning from ear to ear.

At the Al-Akhlas school, Ramadan is marked by the spirit of charity from both outside and within the community. This is because the Rohingya are not just free to celebrate their Islamic culture here, but their children are also free to learn.

Checks by The Star at the school showed children aged five to 15 studying English, Burmese, Malay and Mathematics.

Ramadan also typically sees more volunteers arriving at the school’s doorsteps bearing food, clothes and books.

In return, Arfat distributes instant noodles and rice to the families of the Al-Akhlas children and the other schoolteachers.

The families would then prepare and distribute halim among the school community. Halim is a dish made of rice and meat diluted in broth, similar to Malaysia’s bubur.

As of April this year, there are 53,410 Rohingya refugees registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Malaysia.

http://www.thestar.com.my

Myanmar teenage refugee dreams of being a rock star

KUALA LUMPUR: Like most teenagers his age, Myanmar refugee Gideon Ni Ssi Ki Dawng also has ambitions and dreams of becoming a professional musician as great as Kurt Cobain of rock band Nirvana.

But being merely a refugee living in Malaysia, he knows such a wish was next to impossible.

“But it would be great if I can get a professional qualification from a university so that I can learn music further, then work hard to make a lot of money,” he told Bernama at the “Everyone Has Hope” gala night here on Saturday.

Still, the 17-year-old said even though he did not have the opportunity to attend formal music lessons, nothing would stop him from learning and pursuing his dream in music.

Gideon, who received his basic education at Fugee School, Gombak, said he loved to play guitar and sing. He learned to play the instrument by himself without proper guidance from anyone.

“I always wish volunteers with a music background would come and teach music regularly at my school.

“I want to showcase my talent all over the world, showing that there is hope to end war someday. Through music I’m making my spirit come alive.

“There are four used guitars in the class; actually we’re figuring out how to earn enough money to change the broken strings, but it’s okay, I’ll make the most of it,” he said.

Gideon is one of 35 participants in the “Everyone Has Hope” photography and fundraising initiative by Taylor’s College Canadian Pre-University and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The programme involved Myanmar, Syrian and Somalian refugee youths living in Malaysia.

About 50 pictures taken by the refugees were displayed at the exhibition as they had been taught basic photography skills by volunteers comprising college students, local photographers and UNHCR through a six-month workshop.

Gideon came to Malaysia with his elder brother about five years ago, and deep in his heart there is always the hope he will be reunited with his family members who are still living in their home country.

“Both my parents and little sister are still living there, in my village… there is only one telephone and so our contact is very limited,” he said.

The teenager, who is from the ‘Chin’ ethnic race in Myanmar, is positive he will have a better future living in Malaysia.

“I wish the conflict in my country will be over soon. I wish I can live peacefully with family and friends,” he said.

Like Gideon, Syrian refugee Tuka Sahyoun, 13, also has big dreams and wants to become a famous artist.

The bubbly girl believes she can, through her passion in painting and drawing art, deliver messages for world peace and unity.

“I hope through my artwork I can inspire people and encourage them to be kind and to love one another,” she said.

Meanwhile, project founder Paula Reyes hoped the project would ignite endless passion for learning and growing among refugee children, besides optimising their full potential.

“Everybody deserves access to education and exposure and so do they (the refugees); we hope the community can open their eyes and not think negatively of them,” she said.

Based on UNCHR statistics, 154,140 refugees and asylum-seekers were registered with UNCHR in Malaysia as at end April this year, with 139,780 of them from Myanmar.

– BERNAMA

Documentary prompts report on detention centres

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Malaysia arrests 20 as probe widens into murders of Myanmar nationals

By Trinna Leong

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

UNHCR concern at reports of shooting involving Rohingya boat people

UNHCR has asked the Royal Thai Government to verify recent reports that a Rohingya boat was towed out from Thai waters, and that shots were fired during the interception.

UNHCR has met the survivors of a boat incident reported in Phang Nga, southern Thailand, cross-checked their accounts with other sources and established that the incident is the same one reported by boat people who arrived in Aceh, Indonesia on 26 February. UNHCR staff in Indonesia have spoken to some of the 121 arrivals in this group, which includes women and children.

Those interviewed in both countries said that they left their village in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state around 5 February. During the journey lasting three weeks, they ran out of food and water. When intercepted by authorities in Thai waters, they were provided with some assistance and then twice towed from Thai waters out to sea. According to converging accounts, at least three shots were fired during interception, but information is conflicting as to whether these were warning shots or actually aimed at the passengers. Survivors and local fishermen near Phuket said two dead bodies were recovered from the sea, though it was unclear if the cause of death was shooting or drowning.

UNHCR is gravely concerned that people fleeing unrest could have been turned away and exposed to further distress in their search for safety. We are seeking access to such boats intercepted in the high seas.

Following the inter-communal violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state last year, thousands of people have boarded smugglers' boats from the Bay of Bengal to seek safety and stability further south. More than 7,000 people are estimated to have taken this dangerous voyage in the first two months of this year, though the clandestine nature of these movements makes it difficult to know the real scale of the movements.

Amid news reports of boats being pushed back to sea, some boats have arrived on the shores of countries in South-east and South Asia.

Since January, more than 1,800 boat arrivals - the vast majority Rohingya from Rakhine state - have been accepted on Thai soil and provided assistance in shelters and immigration detention facilities mainly in the south. UNHCR has welcomed the Thai government's decision to provide them with six months of temporary protection while solutions are sought.

In Indonesia's Aceh province, more than 180 presumed Rohingya have arrived so far this year, among them 12 women and 58 children. The youngest is a seven-month-old baby. The local authorities in Aceh are providing medical and other assistance. The International Organization for Migration is providing food and relief supplies. The local community and civil society have also donated food, clothes and sanitary items. UNHCR is interviewing them to assess their protection needs.

In Malaysia, two boats have been picked up in the last week with some 320 people believed to be Rohingya in need of international protection.

In mid-February, a boat with over 30 people was rescued in Sri Lanka, reportedly after some 90 of their fellow passengers had died of starvation and dehydration during the long journey from the Bay of Bengal. The survivors joined another 130 people reportedly originating in Myanmar and Bangladesh who had arrived in Sri Lanka earlier this year.

UNHCR is appealing to all States in the region to keep their borders open to people fleeing persecution. Our offices are ready to support States in assisting and protecting these individuals.

For more information on this topic, please contact:

• In Bangkok, Vivian Tan on mobile: +66 818 270 280
• In Jakarta: Mitra Salima Suryono on office number: +62 21 391 2888
• In Geneva, Babar Baloch on mobile: +41 79 557 9106

How much has changed in the nation formerly known as Burma?

Reporter: Hayden Cooper

 

With Myanmar's President Thein Sein visiting Australia, his country has been promised aid and military cooperation as his country moves towards democracy, but just how much has changed in the nation formerly known as Burma

 

LEIGH SALES, PRESENTER: It's been three decades since a president of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has been welcomed as a guest to Australia. Today a new era began as President Thein Sein met Australia's Prime Minister in Canberra. The country has been one of the most egregious abusers of human rights in the world, but the Myanmar leader is easing towards democracy, and for his efforts, the world is rewarding him with access and investment. But how far does the change extend? Hayden Cooper reports.

HAYDEN COOPER, REPORTER: The nation of Myanmar is emerging from the shadows. Political renegades are finding new voice and the world's powerbrokers are watching and responding.

BARACK OBAMA, US PRESIDENT: You can see progress being made. You can taste freedom.

HAYDEN COOPER: This momentous handshake between two presidents last November showed the world that Myanmar is back in the international fold. And now Australia too is extending a hand of friendship.

JULIA GILLARD, PRIME MINISTER: The President's visit reflects the remarkable progress of reform in Myanmar since civilian government was established in 2011. You Excellency, I would like to pay particular tribute today to the important role you have played in initiating and driving the reform process.

THEIN SEIN, MYANMAR PRESIDENT (voiceover translation): It is my sincere wish that like Australia, Myanmar will enjoy peace, democracy and prosperity. We have much to learn from Australia. I feel certain that our relations will now enter a new and special phase.

HAYDEN COOPER: The former military ruler and now President Thein Sein is overseeing a program of significant reform. Some political prisoners have been released, media censorship has eased and opposition parties have cautiously taken their place in Myanmar's parliament.

The reward from Canberra is the lifting of sanctions, the offer of joint Defence cooperation and the encouragement of Australian investment.

JULIA GILLARD: Of course, there's much work to do. Myanmar's transition has only just begun, and great transitions like this face many difficult challenges.

HAYDEN COOPER: Outside there was no such diplomacy for the man who many Myanmar refugees consider a murderous dictator. Protestors crowded the country's embassy to condemn the military violence that's still directed at ethnic minority groups. They called for the release of hundreds of political prisoners still behind bars and they accused President Sein of committing genocide against the Rohingya Muslim population.

Cheery Zahau is a human rights activist with little hope in the new regime.

CHEERY ZAHAU, HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST: In a sense, no, human rights is getting worse. Although there are a lot of exciting reforms happening in Rangoon and in Naypyidaw, but in ethnic areas it's not getting better. ... In Kachin states, in Shan states we see a lot of human rights violations happening, including torture, including landmine issues, all of this still happening.

HAYDEN COOPER: The story of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims is one of severe persecution. Over decades, hundreds of thousands have fled to neighbouring countries. In 2012, violent clashes continued. The Rohingya community says hundreds have been killed. Human rights watch accuses Myanmar security forces of targeting the ethnic group in an effort to drive them out. These satellite images show one village before and after it was burnt to the ground in ethnic clashes. The red dots represent destroyed houses.

In Sydney, Mohammed Anwar is one Rohingya refugee who finds no comfort in the new Myanmar.

MOHAMMED ANWAR, BURMESE ROHINGYA COMMUNITY: For a minority, we are losing more rights, we are suffering more and we're at the verge of even losing our existence there.

HAYDEN COOPER: As the daughter of Myanmar's first post-colonial leader, Door Tan Tan Nu recognises the historical significance of this moment. She now heads an opposition Democratic Party and in this Australian visit she wants human rights to be prominent.

DAW THAN THAN NU, GENERAL SECRETARY, DEMOCRATIC PARTY: Yes, this is up to the Australian Prime Minister, that if she wants to raise that kind of human rights question, are there any other questions she should raise? Because as the civilian president, he should also have the answers.

HAYDEN COOPER: Aware of the criticism, President Thein Sein raised the issue himself at this morning's joint press conference.

THEIN SEIN (voiceover translation): I know that for many years the Australian Government and the Australian people were concerned over the situation of human rights in Myanmar. I am grateful for that. I am here in part to display the changes that have been taking place.

HAYDEN COOPER: To these protestors, President Thein Sein is not a champion of reform. And images of him striding the world stage are especially offensive. It's why the message of a new government ready to change is one that victims of the former military regime won't accept.

LEIGH SALES: Hayden Cooper with that report.

Suaram questions inaction against errant employers

Suaram has questioned why no action is being taken against employers for not abiding by the government's minimum wage requirement, but instead against Nepali workers who had intended to hold a demonstration over the matter.

The human rights group said there was nothing to be proud off in regards to police’s action yesterday.

R Thevarajan, of Suaram's Police, Accountability and Reform desk, claimed that police do not understand the real issue behind the proposed peaceful protest.

He claimed, in a statement today, that the workers had no choice but to show their displeasure by organising a peaceful demonstration.

What is strange, he added, is that the workers were arrested even before the actual protest took place.

“What is their offence and what is the charge against them?” he asked in the statement.

“Why should the foreign workers be arrested and why are the employers, who failed to abide by this (minimum wage) requirement, not brought to justice?”

He went on to call for the Human Resources Ministry to respond to yesterday’s detention.

He said it was not enough to merely state that implementation of the minimum wage policy, which came into effect on Jan 1, could be deferred to a later date.

Right to assemble

Thevarajan said the authorities should respect Article 10 of the federal constitution over the right of citizens to assemble peacefully and urged those picked-up by police to be released.

Police, he said, should understand the bread-and-butter issues affecting workers, regardless if they are locals or foreigners, as their rights are being exploited by the employers.

Earlier, Bernama reported that Muar police had foiled an attempt by 5,000 foreign workers from Nepal to hold a demonstration at the town centre at noon, yesterday.

They had wished to protest against their employers for allegedly failing to pay salaries according to the minimum salary scheme as decided by the government.

It was reported that based on a tip off, police moved in to prevent the group from gathering in front of a supermarket in Jalan Ali, Muar.

Muar police chief ACP Mohd Nasir Ramli had said 106 people, including the alleged masterminds, were detained for further investigations until 1pm, after which they were released.

Last week, Muar police arrested 32 Nepalese workers for creating a riot at a furniture factory as they were unhappy that their salaries had not been paid according to the minimum salary scheme.- Bernama - Malaysiakini, 18/3/2013, Suaram questions inaction against errant employers

Giving refugees opportunities

IN CONJUNCTION with World Refugees Day 2012, the Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) Seremban chapter volunteers paid a visit to 22 Myanmar refugees living at a low- cost flat in Seremban town.

They were there to distribute donations collected from the public.

Prior to the visit, MRCS Seremban pledged to donate foodstuff, clothing, exercise books and stationery.

“The public has been generous. We have received toiletries like shampoo, soap, toothpaste and toothbrush, which are essential for the refugees. Many have donated exercise books, stationery and tidbits for the children,” said MRCS Seremban youth officer Albert Ling Chuan Kai, 23.

Helping them out: The Myanmar refugees with Ling (squatting front left).

According to Ling, most of the refugee children did not receive formal education due to legal reasons.

“The fact that these children are barred from attending school is so heartbreaking. They could grow up being the next Aung San Suu Kyi, making positive changes to the world, if given the right opportunities,” he added.

The Myanmar refugees are still in need of footwear, diapers, baby powder and milk.

MRCS Seremban hopes more people will come forward to volunteer to teach or just spend time with the children.

Besides the visit, MRCS Seremban Chapter also organised a quiz on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) for its secondary school members.

The objective of the quiz was to encourage youngsters to learn more about law pertaining to human rights applicable during war.

Around 32 MRCS youth members from eight schools took part and SMK King George V emerged the district champion.

Participant Jegadeshwaran Gandhi, 16, who was part of the winning team, managed to answer all the questions correctly.

Fellow participant, Chiang Hui Xing, 17, from SMK Dato’ Mohd Said Nilai said that in preparation for the quiz, she learnt about the origins of IHL.

She also admires Jean Henry Dunant, the founding father of Red Cross and the first Nobel Peace Prize winner who strived hard to protect human rights. 

Source : TheStarOnline

97,000 Refugees And Asylum-seekers Registered With UNHCR

By S. Kishokumari

KUALA LUMPUR, March 15 (Bernama) -- About 97,000 refugees and asylum-seekers are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Malaysia till January this year, which is more than half of the country's Orang Asli (indigenous people) population of 149,000.

According to UNHCR spokesperson Yante Ismail,about 88,500 of them were from Myanmar, comprising 34,400 Chins, 23,000 Rohingyas, 10,500 Myanmar Muslims, 4,600 Rakhines, 3,800 Mons, 3,300 Kachins and other ethnicities.

"There are some 8,200 refugees and asylum-seekers from other countries, including some 4,400 Sri Lankans, 1,000 Somalis, 770 Iraqis and 440 Afghans," she told Bernama recently.

She also elaborated that 71 per cent of the refugees and asylum-seekers were males and 19,700 of them were children below the age of 18.

Nevertheless, Yante said no specific placement such as camps were provided and as such they (refugees and asylum-seekers) lived scattered but had access to the informal work sector and opportunities to be self-reliant.

"One important fact is that the refugees can move freely, they are not in camps and are able to be empowered to find their own ways of coping and rebuilding their lives with dignity.

"If there are allegations of crimes committed in Malaysia by refugees or asylum-seekers, UNHCR would expect them to undergo due process under the law like just any other person," said said.

Recently, police foiled a drug smuggling attempt with the arrest of two Myanmars having UNHCR cards in front of the Kota Tinggi Plaza in Johor Baharu on Feb 23.

On Feb 22, police had also crippled a gang of burglars comprising 16 Myanmars, including six UNHCR card holders in the city.

By Bernama

Crackdown planned against employers, illegal workers after March 31

KUCHING: Employers in Sarawak better get their foreign workers legalised or send them home before April 1 — or face the music.

Immigration director Datuk Robert Lian said the department would launch its “Blue Sky” operation to nab employers who still kept their illegal foreign workers after the amnesty period ended on March 31.

He warned that the operation, which would involve relevant government departments including the police and military personnel, as well as Rela, would go after the employers first.

He believed that the illegal employment of foreigners could be eliminated by cracking down on employers besides arresting the illegal immigrant workers themselves.

“In fact, the employers are the ones who commit more offences. They harbour the illegal immigrants and in doing so, evade paying the levies on foreign workers,” he told a press conference at his office here yesterday.

Levies on foreign workers in the state range from RM410 to RM1,490 a year depending on which sector they are in.

Robert said employers were given until March 31 to apply from the state Immigration Department the visit pass temporary appointments (VPTA) for their illegal foreign workers who were registered under the biometric system last year.

He reminded that employers must first get the labour recruiting licence (LRL) from the state Labour Department before they could apply for the VPTA.

He further clarified that under the exercise, only Indonesians could be recruited and not other foreigners.

Robert said employers in the state must not assume that the Government would extend the deadline for them to deal with the matter.

“We have given employers enough time to legalise their registered (but illegal) foreign workers or send them home. Do not anticipate any extension of the deadline,” he said.

Robert also warned all illegal foreign workers who had registered themselves under the 6P programmes to leave the country voluntarily before April 1.

He said those who left the state voluntarily during the period would not be arrested and charged in court.

He also said that the registered illegal foreign workers from Indonesia could apply to work in Sarawak through their employers but that other nationals must leave the state voluntarily.

“Indonesians, whose applications to work in Sarawak were rejected by the Labour Department must also leave the state voluntarily before March 31. So far, we have 80 applications for the VPTA,” he said.

Robert said registered illegal Indonesian workers aged between 13 and 17 must leave the state voluntarily as well.

He said if they were below 12 years old their parents must apply for social visit passes for them.

By theStarOnline

Angelina Jolie praised for refugee work

Angelina Jolie was thanked for ''doing incredible things'' at the Woman in the World summit last night (08.03.12) by a Rwandan genocide survivor who introduced her to the stage.

The 36-year-old actress - who is a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador - spoke about the plight of Somali refugees at the event at the Lincoln Centre in New York and was introduced by Rwandan genocide survivor Sandra Uwiringiyimana.

Taking to the stage, Sandra thanks Angelina for ''taking justice into her home and hands and doing incredible things,'' with the actress appearing visibly moved by the touching introduction.

During her address, Angelina told the story of Dr. Hawa Abdi, who runs a medical camp in Somalia which is now being overrun by militants and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for her work.

She said the story ''illuminates the nightmare of tens of millions around the world the internally displaced and the ones homeless within their homelands'',

She added: ''It is, right now, Friday morning in Somalia. In a few hours, 400 human beings are about to become, once again, displaced.''

Other speakers at the three-day summit include politician Hillary Clinton and actress Meryl Streep.

Source : http://entertainment.malaysia.msn.com

Bullies add to refugees' misery

 By TAN CHOE CHOE
KUALA LUMPUR

 Not only is bullying morally wrong, but it can also destroy childhood for children, says Unicef

The three sketches are by a Myanmar refugee child at a refugee learning centre in Kuala Lumpur which depict the abuse and discrimination she has experienced as she struggles to regain her footing in a foreign land.

1 / 2

WARM and friendly, Malaysians are often commended for our willingness to lend to the less fortunate.'

But why does a young girl who had come to our shores two years ago to seek a brighter future, clench her teeth and sob quietly when asked about her experience in Malaysia?

Dawn  had just turned 15 when she braved the high seas in a cramped fishing boat. She fled a homeland that has been embroiled in internal conflict since 1948 -- Myanmar.

With her mother and an 11-year-old younger sister, the three held on tightly to each other and tried not to think about the added risk of being captured by slave-traders prowling the waters.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, they arrived in bright, sunny Malaysia.

 

 

Sketches by a Myanmar refugee child at a refugee learning centre in Kuala Lumpur depict the abuse and discrimination she has experienced as she struggles to regain her footing in a foreign land.

With the help of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the family of three was reunited with their father in a refugee centre in downtown Kuala Lumpur. They have sought shelter for the last two years in this unmarked building, and there now seems to be a semblance of normalcy in their lives.

Although their movements are restricted and they fear being detained if they venture too far from the area surrounding their refugee centre, for once, Dawn can go to school and is learning English.



Her yearning to learn more was  evident as she listened attentively to every question posed to her, shaping her mouth silently around some words to familiarise herself.

Perhaps this insatiable thirst for knowledge is what continues to push her to take the 20-minute trek to a school nearby every day --  though the journey often brings them face to face with a bunch of young, local bullies.

 "They throw stones at us. They pull our hair sometimes and shout at us -- something very bad. Sometimes my sister will go and cry in the toilet."

Jim, head of the refugee centre where Dawn is taking shelter now, said cases of refugee children being bullied was nothing new.

"Even our adults are robbed, cursed at, looked down on. We fled our homeland because we had no choice but to leave.

"Here, we thought we can have a chance...but...we just wonder now, why is our life so hard?"

When asked if she still believed that there was a brighter future ahead, Dawn looked down on her lap and let the tears fall, unhindered.

Watching the girl and reflecting on the plight of his people, Jim, a 45-year-old, also teared up.

It is reported that there are now 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.

Since 1989, Nov 20 is Universal Children's Day. Malaysia, being a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, also observes this day as one of celebration of the well-being of children.

"Child rights mean that children themselves have to learn to respect each other's rights," said Unicef representative to Malaysia, Hans Olsen. "Children's opinions and actions are influenced by what adults and friends around them think, do and say. Prejudice is learnt by living and observing it in society; a child may grow up believing that this is how life must be."

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has so far identified more than 50 grounds of discrimination against children based either on their identity or the identity of their parents.  These include discrimination against gender, race, citizenship, family background and income, ability, and HIV status. Discrimination against these children may mean poking fun at them, or not allowing them to participate in play or other activities.

Names have been changed to protect  identity

Read more: Bullies add to refugees' misery - General - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/local/general/bullies-add-to-refugees-misery-1.11212#ixzz1f5I3Y200

Myanmar refugee children in Malaysia vulnerable to deportation

By Lee Seung-joon

Myanmar refugee children hold hands with volunteers from JUST, a non-governmental organization, before starting a football match on the rooftop of a sports center in Petaling Jaya, Selangor Province, Malaysia on Nov. 12.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia ― Myanmar children, shedding their identities as refugees, ran around freely without any worries for an afternoon despite remaining vulnerable to deportation.

Ignoring the poor living conditions, they were far from depressed. Twenty-eight excited children, aged 7 to 12, with big smiles they began to jump around as soon as they arrived at the sports center on Nov. 12.

Thawng Sian Khampi, principal of the Zomi Education Center, said that this type of outdoor event doesn’t happen often enough for them.

“The children spend most of their time inside because going out is risky," said Khampi, also a Zomi refugee.

According to the United Nations’ refugee agency, an estimated 78,000 illegal immigrants in Malaysia are from Myanmar. Of them, about 10,000 belong to Zomi, a combination of “Zo,” an ethnic group, and “mi” meaning people. They fled military-ruled, impoverished Myanmar to Malaysia through Thai jungles seeking a better life or political asylum.

The children carry refugee certificates issued by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). However, the authorized document is not considered legitimate because Malaysia is not a signatory of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.

"The difficult situation facing us in Malaysia remains unchanged. Even refugee certificates don’t make a difference. We don’t have any protection from the Malay government," said Khampi. He added that refugees can be deported for immigration offences and they don’t receive any medical treatment such as in the case of traffic accidents.

Children and a group of young men from 14 countries, who are participating in the Inter-Civilization Youth Engagement Program offered by the International Movement for a Just World (JUST), did not speak the same language as the children from Myanmar, but a few soccer balls were all they needed to spend a fun time on the rooftop of a shopping center in Petaling Jaya on the northwestern outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.

When asked if he was enjoying himself, nine-year-old Lianpi nodded his head.

“The children are showing such positive energy that we all are having an exhilarating time. I hope they will remember this fun time," said Naida Shamsirbahri from Singapore. She was one of 38 volunteers from JUST.

JUST, a non-governmental organization headquartered in Petaling Jaya, Selangor Province, aims to promote global awareness and correct the injustice in the world

Khampi, concurrently vice president of the Zomi Association of Malaysia, added that the education center was established in 2007 under an initiative of the association as children were not allowed to go to public schools. “The community could not just wait for Malaysia to join the 1951 convention,” he said.

The absence of basic education violates their rights and proves to be a lifelong handicap for the future of these children, said Khampi. “Zomi adults and a small number of volunteers take every role in the center such as teachers, cooks and nurses. As a result, we need more volunteers.”

There are about 1,000 Zomis under the age of 18 in Malaysia, and the number is increasing, according to Khampi.

The writer is a Korea Times intern.

Chin refugee stabbed to death in Malaysia

A Chin refugee was stabbed to death by Thin Lin from Hmawbi Township, Rangoon division, Burma in Cameroon highland of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at around 5 pm local standard time on November 16.

The dead was identified as Ki Lawha, son of Thin Khaw Lin and Mrs. Lin Khaw Nam from Mindat Township, Chin state, Burma. He was recognized as a refugee in Malaysia by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

“Ki Lawha was stabbed in the abdomen and admitted to the local hospital but he died at around 1 pm on November 17. We do not know why the incident occurred,” said Mr. Lal Siam Mawi, President of Chin Disciplinary Affairs Committee.

Thin Lin was arrested by Mr. Billy Tong Bung, Mr. Thang Lian and Mr. Pathang from the Chin community and handed over to the local police station.

It is learnt that Thin Lin and Ki Lawha stayed together in the work place and they had been quarreling frequently.

Malaysia UNHCR also intervened, said A Chin refugee from Malaysia. Khonumthung news

Refugee Children Star in Talent Competition (2011)

The talent of refugee children shone today in a Talent Competition organised in conjunction with Universal Children's Day. 12 Finalists comprising refugee children between 10-17 years sang and danced to vie for the top prizes in the Refugee Children Talent Competition.

Themed "I'm A Star", this is the second time this talent competition has been held by UNHCR specifically for refugee children in Malaysia. Since October, over 200 refugee children from Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Somalia have auditioned for the talent competition.

Wiith a voice that belied his young age, 10 year old Sen Hkum Share took the trophy home with his heartfelt rendition of Westlife's 'Fool Again', while 11 year old Tu Chin Lian impressed the judges to victory with his moonwalk moves of Michael Jackson's 'Smooth Criminal'.

Universal Children's Day 2011 recognises the rights of children worldwide to have a childhood of safety and with the highest possible quality of life. However, this right is often denied to refugee children.

There are over 19,000 refugee children in Malaysia. Due to trauma and displacement because of war and conflict, many of them are denied normal childhoods.

While in exile, they often do not have the opportunity to participate in activities enjoyed by other children their age - activities which provide essential lessons for their mental and physical well-being and development - including expressions of creativity, healthy competition, team work and play.

The Refugee Children Talent Competition was held to give refugee children this opportunity, and the right to normal childhood activities like every other child.

Winners of the Refugee Children Talent Competition 2011

UNHCR KL Representative Alan Vernon giving a short welcoming speech before the show begins

Winner of the singing category Seng Hkum Share performing Westlife's 'Fool Again'

Some of the winners posing with friends and family after the show

Winner of the dancing category Tu Cin Lian ready to moonwalk to Michael Jackson's 'Smooth Criminal

Urging Burma to change

President Barack Obama is moving shrewdly by testing the new government in Burma. He intends to dispatch Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for a serious look at the mood in the country, a year after it claimed to have made the decision to throw off 49 years of military dictatorship.

The United States is one of the last countries to give Burma a chance. But Mr Obama has chosen to start right from the top with a high-profile event. Many others, notably the European Union and countries of Europe, have moved into Burma on little cat's feet, slowly testing the government with basic diplomacy such as film festivals and informational events.

Mr Obama announced the decision to approach Burma at a high level during last weekend's summits in Bali. Neither he nor several predecessors ever had much luck convincing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to join the western nation in criticising and sanctioning Burma. The odious military regimes, which became increasingly cruel and repressive after the 1962 coup, were detested worldwide. But the members of Asean held their noses and pretended for more than two decades that things were getting better in Burma.

They were not. Military regimes cancelled even the most basic human rights. Burma had no freedom of speech or even of religion. The armed forces and its civil service routinely punished families for the sins of a son or daughter. The most visible victim of the dictatorship was Aung San Suu Kyi, denied contact with her dying husband and her children, incarcerated for most of the past 20 years _ without charges or legal help. Her fate was a symbol of the way the tyrants in power controlled everyone.

There are strong indications, however, that the bad old days may be ending. There is still a long way to go. But Mr Obama personally telephoned Mrs Suu Kyi last week. He got through to her, an impossible task until last year. And she told him that it might be a good idea to send Mrs Clinton to make approaches to the new, nominally civilian government in Naypyidaw. And Burmese President Thein Sein, at the leaders' summit in Indonesia, spoke in what might be considered a straightforward manner. There are, he said, numerous tasks before Burma can be considered a free country.

The fact that Mr Thein Sein listed the problems _ ethnic mistrust, thousands of political prisoners, continuing media repression _ is unique in Burma in the past 49 years, during which the military killed Southeast Asia's most thriving democracy and its best economy.

Admitting some problems is progress, although he left out two important ones. The first is that his government still acquiesces in East Asia's biggest illicit drug trade. It will take a strong man to admit this, but it is vital that the president act against drug lords, and soon. The second is the huge, tragic and costly presence of refugees in Thailand, as well as India, China, Bangladesh and Malaysia. Officially, there are 129,000 Burmese refugees in Thailand. There are probably a million or more altogether.

But things are certainly improving. Mrs Suu Kyi, who boycotted the elections and saw her National League for Democracy banned, said last week she will re-enter politics _ and probably run for parliament. The media censors have eased, a European film festival was recently held, access to mobile phones and the internet have increased.

It is still far too early to credit Burma with a turnaround, but there are increasing signs that meaningful reforms may be possible.

Source : Bangkok Post 

Chin Refugees Arrested in Malaysian Crackdowns

Malaysian RELA raiding homes in Kuala Lumpur (Photo: CG)

At least ten Chin refugees including women have been detained following a series of government-planned crackdowns on 'undocumented' foreign workers in Malaysia since last month.

The Chin refugees were arrested in different locations including Seremban, Ipoh, and Kepong of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, with only two being registered as refugees with the UNHCR, according to the Voice of Chin Refugees.

Six of them from Seremban City are known to have been sent to Lenggeng Immigration detention centre while a Chin man from Ipoh City is detained in Lengkap Immigration detention centre and other threes being put to a lockup in Serihatamas Jalan Duta Desa Immigration complex.

It is believed that Malaysian authorities will be in liaison with the UNHCR Office in Kuala Lumpur to see if the Chin detainees, among many, are refugees.

A member of the Chin Refugee Committee was quoted as saying that the detainees without the UNHCR registration card could face months of detention.

"With the immigration crackdown beginning, the Chin community fears for the displacement of thousands of family members still waiting in queue for registration from the office of the UNHCR."

There are more than ten thousand Chin refugees, who have not been registered with the UNHCR, according to ACR (Alliance of Chin Refugees) and CRC (Chin Refugee Committee).

According to a report earlier this month, the Malaysian government had arrested nearly 200 undocumented workers and 5 employers in three states across the country since 20 October.

The Malaysian government made an official announcement in October that it plans to deploy hundreds of thousands of enforcement officers and volunteers  in an attempt to sweep out 'undocumented' foreign workers.

Joy as widow's dream of new life comes true

Six months ago, she became the human face of Australia's controversial refugee deal with Malaysia.

Sui Neih Maui, a 35-year-old Chin refugee, had been living in fear in a Kuala Lumpur slum since she fled the army in Burma and her husband was murdered.

When _The West Australian _tracked her down in May, she was preparing to be the first refugee to call WA home since the so-called Malaysian solution was announced.

Last week, in her new home in Perth, she said he had never felt safer in her life. "I never want to go back there," she said.

Despite the collapse of the Malaysia deal, Australia will keep its end of the bargain - increasing its refugee intake by 4000 over four years.

Most of these will be Burmese refugees, who make up the majority of 94,000 refugees in exile in Malaysia.

The most likely Burmese refugees to benefit from the deal are the Christian Chin ethnic minority.

In the past month, seven ethnic Chin have been resettled in Perth.

Obama sending Clinton to repressive Myanmar

Seizing an opportunity for historic progress in repressive Myanmar, President Barack Obama is dispatching Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to the long-isolated nation next month in an attempt to accelerate fledgling reforms.

The move is the most dramatic sign yet of an evolving relationship between the United States and Myanmar, also known as Burma, which has suffered under brutal military rule for decades. Obama said Friday there had been "flickers of progress" since new civilian leadership took power in March.

Responding to signs of reform, Myanmar's main opposition party, led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, decided on Friday to register again for future elections after boycotting last year's voting.

"If Burma continues to travel down the road of democratic reform, it can forge a new relationship with the United States of America," Obama said as he announced Clinton's trip while on a diplomatic mission to southeast Asia.

Clinton will be the first U.S. secretary of state to visit Myanmar in more than 50 years.

In exploring a breakthrough engagement with Myanmar, Obama first sought assurances of support from Suu Kyi. She spent 15 years under house arrest by the nation's former military dictators but is now in talks with the civilian government about reforming the country.

A U.S. opening with Myanmar would also contribute to Obama's goals of rebalancing power in the region, as Burma's military leaders for long had close ties to China.

Beijing has poured billions of dollars of investment into Myanmar to operate mines, extract timber and build oil and gas pipelines. China has also been a staunch supporter of the country's politically isolated government and is Myanmar's second-biggest trading partner after Thailand.

Administration officials stressed that the new engagement with Myanmar was not about China. They said the Obama administration consulted with China about the move and said they expected China to be supportive. They argued that China wants to see a stable Burma on its borders, so that it doesn't risk problems with refugees or other results of political instability.

Obama and democracy leader Suu Kyi spoke by phone on Thursday night while he was flying to Bali on Air Force One.

By sending in Clinton, his chief diplomat, Obama is taking a calculated political risk in a place where repression is still common. He warned that if the country fails to commit to a true opening of its society, it will continue to face sanctions and isolation. But he said that the current environment is a rare opening that could help millions of people "and that possibility is too important to ignore."

Myanmar is subject to wide-ranging trade, economic and political sanctions from the U.S. and other Western nations, enforced in response to brutal crackdowns on pro-democracy protesters in 1988 and 2007 and its refusal to hand power to Suu Kyi's party after the 1990 elections.

Clinton said that while there may be an opening for a democracy push in Myanmar, the U.S. was proceeding cautiously.

"We're not ending sanctions. We're not making any abrupt changes," she said during an interview with Fox News. "We have to do some more fact-finding and that's part of my trip."

Suu Kyi's lawyer, Nyan Win, welcomed news of Clinton's visit.

"It is time for the U.S. to make such a high-level visit. This is going to be a very crucial visit," Win said.

Senior Obama administration officials said the U.S. wants to see a number of actions from Myanmar, including the release of more political prisoners; serious internal domestic diplomacy between the government and ethnic groups, some of which have been in civil war for decades; and further assurances with regards to interactions with North Korea.

The administration's policy toward Myanmar has focused on punishments and incentives to get the country's former military rulers to improve dire human rights conditions. The U.S. imposed new sanctions on Myanmar but made clear it was open to better relations if the situation changed.

Myanmar's nominally civilian government has declared its intention to liberalize the hardline policies of the junta that preceded it. It has taken some initial steps, such as easing censorship, legalizing labor unions, suspending an unpopular, China-backed dam project, and working with Suu Kyi.

Officials said Clinton would travel to Myanmar Dec. 1, making stops in Yangon and Naypyitaw.

Human rights groups welcomed Obama's announcement as an opportunity to compel further reforms.

"We've been arguing a long time that political engagement and political pressure are not mutually exclusive," Benjamin Zawacki, Amnesty International's Southeast Asia researcher, told The Associated Press, adding that Clinton "should not miss the opportunity in this historic visit to pressure the government and speak very clearly that the human rights violations taking place there need to stop."

Elaine Pearson, the deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said the Burmese government must realize that a visit by Clinton "puts them on notice, not lets them off the hook for their continually atrocious human rights record."

Obama was to see Burma's president during the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, that brought him to Bali. The two have met before, at an ASEAN meeting in Singapore, when Thein Sein was prime minister.

ASEAN announced Friday that Myanmar would chair the regional bloc in 2014, a significant perch that Myanmar was forced to skip in 2006 because of intense criticism of its rights record.

Obama attended a meeting Friday afternoon with the heads of ASEAN, whose 10 members include host Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. The group will expand for the East Asia Summit, a forum that also counts China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, Russia and the U.S. as members.

The president held one-on-one meetings on the sidelines of the summit with leaders from Indonesia, India, Malaysia and the Philippines. Administration officials said Obama discussed the issue of Myanmar in his meetings with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Philippine President Benigno Aquino III.

Earlier, in a move promoting American trade, Obama presided over a deal that will send Boeing planes to an Indonesian company and create jobs back home, underscoring the value of the lucrative Asia-Pacific market to a president needing some good economic news.

Obama stood watch as executives of Boeing and Lion Air, a private carrier in Indonesia, signed a deal that amounts to Boeing's largest commercial plane order. Lion Air ordered 230 airplanes, and the White House said it would support tens of thousands of jobs in the U.S.

Associated Press writers Aye Aye Win in Yangon and Alisa Tang in Bangkok contributed to this report.