Refugees have rights, too

 ON Dec 10, 1948, these words were adopted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood."

Myanmar refugee children enjoying a magic show hosted by St Francis Xavier Church in Petaling Jaya

How we treat those who flee from danger and persecution and seek help at our doorstep is a reflection of the morality and humanity of our society.

Malaysia's refugee story began in 1975 with the arrival of Indochinese refugees by boat.  A majority of them were resettled to other countries and some returned home safely.

During the same period, Malaysia offered local integration to some 13,000 Muslim Cham refugees from Cambodia. And in the 1970s and 1980s, Malaysia witnessed the arrival of some 50,000 Filipino Muslims from Mindanao who fled to Sabah.

These refugees were received and eventually locally settled into Sabah by the government with the support of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Since then, we have received refugees from Bosnia, Aceh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Somalia.

UNHCR reported that as of end October last year, it had registered 95,300 refugees and asylum-seekers: 87,300 are from Myanmar and 8,000 from other countries, including some 4,300 Sri Lankans, 1,100 Somalis, 740 Iraqis and 440 Afghans.

Some 29 per cent of refugees and asylum-seekers are women and there are also 19,500 children below the age of 18.

There are also a large number of "persons of concern" to UNHCR who are still waiting to be registered -- a process that can take some time as the organisation is restricted by limited resources to quickly register all new asylum applications.  Refugee communities estimate the population of unregistered refugees and asylum-seekers to be 10,000 persons.

Because they are not given work permits, asylum seekers in Malaysia can become victims of exploitation at their workplace, with very low pay, unsafe conditions and without any form of insurance coverage.

Children form around 20 per cent of the estimated total population of asylum seekers.  Less than 40 per cent of them have access to any type of education -- mainly informal classes are conducted by non-governmental and faith-based organisations --  but children attending these classes cannot take any recognised examinations and receive internationally-accepted qualifications.

It is a selfish society that says to those fleeing from danger and persecution and seeking help at our doorstep that we cannot shelter and feed them until our own people are comfortable and well-fed, we cannot clothe them until our own people are well-dressed, we cannot give them jobs because we already have too many foreign workers in our midst, and we cannot educate their children because that would divert precious resources from our own children.

International attention focused on the plight of asylum seekers in Malaysia when on Aug 31, the High Court of Australia ruled that the refugee swap deal was invalid.

The principal reason is that Malaysia is not legally bound to provide the access and protections required under Australian law in order for Malaysia to be validly declared as a country to which asylum seekers could be sent for processing of their asylum claims.

In June, then deputy secretary-general (Registration and Immigration) of the Home Ministry, Datuk Raja Azahar Raja Abdul Manap (who has since retired), told the New Straits Times that even though Malaysia was not a signatory to the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol, it wanted to establish itself as a country that was raising the standard of treating asylum seekers.

In fulfillment of the prime minister's Malaysia Day pledge to transform Malaysia into a modern and progressive nation, and consistent with our international obligation as a member of UN Human Rights Council, Malaysia must provide protection by law to asylum seekers and refugees to guarantee their access to employment, education and healthcare.

Read more:New Straits Times

A Year in Review: Important News & Events that Mattered to the Chin in 2011

New Report Shed Light on Abuse Against Chin: In January US-based Nobel Peace Prize-winning Physicians for Human Rights released a hard-hitting report on the Chin. Titled “Life Under the Junta: Evidence of Crimes Against Humanity in Burma’s Chin State”, the report was covered in more than 250 media outlets around the world. The first quantitative research on human rights among the Chins, and collaborated by six Chin civil society organizations, the report found that the Burmese authorities had subjected nearly 92 percent of the Chin people to forced labour while 14 percent of people surveyed reported religious persecution on the basis of their Christian identity. Physicians for Human Rights legal analysis concludes that the systematic and widespread nature of the violations may constitute Crime Against Humanity under the 2002 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and called a United Nations-mandated Commission of Inquiry into international crimes committed by State actors in Burma.

Chin Participated at Burma’s First Rights Review: The Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO) was among members of a delegation of Burma Forum-UPR, a coalition of 13 human rights organizations working on Burma at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva in January, where Burma’s human rights record for the previous four years was reviewed by the world highest rights body. As part of the advocacy efforts to convince world governments participating at the Universal Periodic Review on Burma, CHRO met with ambassadors and diplomats from over 30 countries around the world. Jointly with Physicians for Human Rights and Burma Forum-UPR delegation, CHRO also provided briefings to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the various special procedure mechanisms within the UN human rights system.

Special Rapporteur Tomas Quintana Visited Chins in Malaysia: The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Burma Tomas Quintana visited Malaysia in February to speak to and hear from Chin refugees in Malaysia as part of his field trip to gather information on the situation of human rights in Burma. Having expressed his interest to visit Chin State during two previous private meetings with the Chin Human Rights Organization, the UN rights investigator decided to visit the Chin community in Malaysia instead after his request to visit Burma was refused by the Burmese government. Following the visit, Quintana used the Chins as a case study for his official report to the UN Human Rights Council.

International Labor Organization Visited Chin State: The International Labor Organization (ILO) made an official visit to Chin State’s capital Hakha in May and conducted an awareness-raising workshop with more than 160 local officials, including civil servants, judges, police and military personnel. The ILO’s visit came at a time when a new report had found that over 90 percent of Chin people had been subjected to forced labor by the Burmese authorities.

Religion & Society:

Two Christian Crosses Destroyed & Desecrated in Kanpetlet: Six members of local authorities ordered 15 local Chin Buddhist youths to destroy two wooden Christian crosses planted on both sides of the Mung River suspension bridge in Kyindwe village, Kanpetlet Township of southern Chin State on 28 July 2011. The destruction sparked outrage among local Christians, who wrote a letter of complaint to President Thein Sein, signed by more than 200 Christians. No known action has been taken as of the end of the year.

Global Zomi Alliance Formed: The Global Zomi Alliance (GZA), initiated during the Cope Centennial Jubilee Celebration held in Tedim Town of Chin State in November 2010 with the aims of establishing a common ground for the betterment of Zomi people in the future, was formed at a meeting in Singapore on 27-29 April 2011.

Sports & Entertainment:

Chin athletes At SEA Games: Chin athletes Mai Nilar Htwe as a striker for the Burma women's football team, Mai Nelly Bawi Nei Sin as a boxer (54kg), Salai Kyaw Min as a bodybuilder, Ms Aung Ngeain as an archer and Mai Yinhwa Thawng Luai as a karate coach participated as members of sports teams representing Burma at the 26th Southeast Asian Games in November 2011. Ms Aung Ngeain, from Khimpuang Village, Mindat Township of Chin State, won a gold medal in archery.

Chin Tennis: Mr. Thawng Za Lian, 24, from Chin State Tennis team, won prize for Burma's best player in the 48th State-and-Region Tennis Tournament, jointly organised at the Thein Phyu tennis courts in Rangoon by Sports and Physical Education Department and Myanmar Tennis Federation from 11-18 February 2011.

Chin Education Network (CEN), a non-profit group dedicated to promoting education for Chin youths, organized 17 Chin and Burmese singers to perform a live concert in Rangoon to raise fund and awareness in support of education initiatives in Chin State.

Humanitarian:

Chin State Named Poorest in Burma: The United Nations study on poverty released in June concluded Chin State was the poorest among Burma’s 14 States and administrative regions. The report found that as many as 73 percent of the population of Chin State live under the poverty line, which far exceeds the national average. Rights groups attribute the extreme poverty to decades of government neglect, compounded by militarization and widespread human rights violations against the Chin people, especially during the last two decades.

India Donated for Chin State: In an unprecedented move, the Indian government in August announced that it will give an 8-million donation for development in Chin State. The announcement followed the visit to Chin State by Mandalay Indian Consul General Dr. Madan Mhohan Sethi. While the donation was largely welcomed, some had cautioned that the donation could be ‘sweetener’ money meant to ‘hush’ Chin people ahead of the potentially controversial development project supported by India in southern Chin State. Started in late 2010 and set to complete by later 2013,  The Kaladan Multi-Modal Transport Project, a joint India-Burma project will see the dredging of the biggest river in Chin State and the construction of an inland water terminal and a multi-lane highway in Southern Chin State that will link with India’s Mizoram State.

‘Chin Future’ Seminar: On 20 October, more than 200 Chin academics, religious leaders, youths and politicians gathered in Rangoon to discuss the ‘Chin future’ in an attempt to find solution to various problems facing the Chins in the face of growing poverty, increasing number of youth migration out of Chin State.

Chin Response to Displaced Kachins: Despite the extreme poverty at home, the Chin people quickly and generously responded to the plight of Kachin people displaced by conflicts in northern Burma following the breakdown of a 17 year-old ceasefire between the Burma Army and the Kachin Independence Organization. In total, not less than 50,000 US dollars was donated by Chin churches and communities from both inside and outside the country.

Protests:

Chin Students Protest in Kalay: In a rare public protest against Burmese authorities, over 500 Chin students studying at various universities in Kalay, Sagaing Division staged a demonstration in January to protest against 100 percent increase in bus fare, which they said was discriminatorily unfair to Chin students, who largely live off campus. The students refused to take the bus and formed a human chain by walking to the universities on foot. The protest ended when the authorities responded positively to the students demand by cutting back the bus fare to the original charge.

Chin in Delhi Protest on World Refugee Day: 3000 Chin refugees and their supporters from the Indian civil society groups took to the street in New Delhi on World Refugee Day on 20 June, demanding protection and improved services from the Indian government and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The largest such protest organized by the Delhi-based Chin Refugee Committee, the protest resulted in widespread media coverage around the world, which helped raise the profile and plight of about 100,000 Chin refugees living in India.

Celebration & Awards:

CRC Celebrates 10th Anniversary: 2006 Suaram human rights award winner Chin Refugee Committee (CRC) based in Kuala Lumpur celebrated its 10th founding anniversary to coincide with the 63th anniversary of Chin National Day on 20th February. Founded in 2011, the CRC has provided crucial and life-saving services to more Chins who have resettled to third countries such as North America, Europe and Australia during the last ten years.

Zomi Independence Hero Award: Veteran Chin politician Pu Cin Sian Thang MP, and leader of the Zomi National Congress (ZNC) was awarded Zomi Independence Hero Award by the Wolrd Zomi Congress in honour and recognition of his relentless commitment to working for the freedom of his people. A former political prisoner whose son and nephew remain behind bars in Burma for their political belief, Cin Sian Thang is a highly respected figure nationally in the Burmese political scene.

Tragedy:

A series of fatal road accidents in Chin State in 2011 had claimed more than 40 lives and caused over 120 injuries. Treacherous road conditions, a tragic result of Burma’s longstanding neglect of Chin State for infrastructure and economic development, were largely blamed for the tragedies.

 

Source : Chinland Guardian

Burmese are newest immigrants to settle in Dubuque Archdiocese

WATERLOO, Iowa (CNS) -- The newest group of Catholic immigrants to come to the Dubuque Archdiocese won't take for granted the opportunity to attend Mass in public. Since May 2010, more than 200 refugees from Myanmar (also known as Burma) have moved to Waterloo and its surrounding areas. They are being recruited to work at the Tyson Fresh Meats packaging plant. Many of them are Christians -- Catholic or Baptist -- who came to America as refugees fleeing government oppression. "On Sunday, we wanted to go to church," said John Lazum, 40, one of the refugees. "They didn't allow us. They had forced labor camps." The father of six lived for years under a military regime, which was hostile to ethnic, racial and religious minorities in a society of mostly Buddhists or atheists. Lazum, his wife and their children spent seven years in a Malaysian refugee camp before being authorized to enter the United States about a year and a half ago. Like many of the newcomers in Waterloo, they settled in other American cities first before coming to Iowa. The Lazum family was in Louisville, Ky., before coming to Waterloo a few months ago. They are now members of Sacred Heart Parish with about 200 other Burmese. That parish and school have been an essential lifeline for the immigrants. "We love America because America has freedom to go to school or work," Lazum said.

Source : www.georgiabulletin.org

Wrestling helps Burmese refugee transition to life in Syracuse

By Donnie Webb / The Post-Standard  

 The left toe of Tial Thang’s wrestling shoe is held together by several sweeps of white athletic tape. The soles are so worn down, they are bald and discolored. Socks peek through the black shoe material around his toes.

Thang said he’d get new wrestling shoes except for one thing — he doesn’t deserve them.

When Thang wins a wrestling tournament, he said, then he’ll be shoe worthy.

It’s a small window into the uber-competitiveness and drive of Thang, a refugee from Burma and a junior at the Institute of Technology at Syracuse Central. He is also a member of the combined wrestling team for the Syracuse city schools. Thang is The Post-Standard’s honor athlete of the week.

Thang, whose name is pronounced tee-EL tung, wrestles at 152 pounds and is 11-4 this season. He hopes to win a Section III championship and wrestle in the state tournament. Two of Thang’s losses came in overtime. He avenged an early season loss by winning a rematch. In a victory last week against Fayetteville-Manlius, Thang wrestled up and defeated an opponent weighing 170 pounds.

Thang’s homeland of Burma, also called Myanmar, is a military-ruled country of 56 million people. It has been consistently criticized for human rights violations by the United Nations and other rights organizations. The Washington Post called it “one of the most isolated and repressive regimes in the world — a government responsible for killing thousands in a quest to silence dissent.”

Thang and his family fled their Burmese home of Chin Hakha and spent two years in Malaysia before coming to Syracuse in June 2007. Gone was a life of growing corn and rice and raising livestock. Thang’s duties had been tending the family’s five cows.

With the army cracking down on personal and religious freedoms, the family made the most difficult of choices.

Thang’s father (Tawk Cem) escaped first to Malaysia. It took five more years before Thang, his mother (Mang Si) and sister (Holy Sung) could follow. The family reunited in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, and lived there for two years.

“I don’t want to remember,” Thang said of his time in Burma. “It makes me sad.”

After applying through the United Nations for refugee status, the family was resettled in Syracuse, a city that has taken in about 1,500 Burmese refugees, according to Stone Saw, a case worker and interpreter at InterFaith Works of Central New York. Thang said he regularly sees the casualties of the Burmese civil war in Syracuse, the ones without arms, legs, eyes or ears.

“It’s sad. I don’t want to be refugee,” he said.

While learning to deal with Central New York snow and the English language, Thang found comfort in a new athletic endeavor — wrestling. He was a seventh-grader at H.W. Smith School when he was encouraged to give the sport a try. From the first day, he said, he was hooked.

Syracuse city wrestling coach Matt Cosgrove said Thang was pulled up to the junior varsity team and started as a ninth-grader. As a freshman, Thang wrestled with the varsity and finished fifth in the Section III tournament.

A back injury suffered during the Empire State Games in 2010 sidelined him for all of last season. It was a devastating setback. Thang is back, though not particularly happy because he’s got four losses. He is a team captain and continues to work through back pain and occasional confidence issues.

“Every time when I hurt my back, I cried,” he said. “But my father told me, you have to heal it by your heart, not by the doctor or anybody. There’s nobody going to heal up for you. You have to do it by yourself. And I did it.”

Rick Spicer is the athletic director at ITC and calls Thang “a solid student” and one of the school’s nicest kids. Spicer sometimes wishes Thang would be a little less nice in some of his wrestling matches

Thang, who dabbles in muay thai and mixed martial arts, used to bow before matches as a show of respect to his opponent. But he said he’s out there on the mat to take his opponent’s head off because he loathes losing.

That doesn’t happen often. He sends text messages about the outcomes of his matches to relatives around the world, from Norway to Malaysia, Texas and Indianapolis.

Cosgrove said Thang has a unique style. He uses more throws, which comes from the Burmese style of wrestling Thang called “paih.” And at times, Cosgrove said, Thang incorporates movements that “aren’t just pure wrestling movements. When kids wrestle him, it’s a little difficult for them.”

Thang said life has changed since his arrival in Syracuse. He has friends. He has a car. He likes his school. And he has “found something he likes to do,” which is wrestling.

But when his wrestling career ends and he graduates from school, Thang hopes to return to Burma. He doesn’t know when, but he feels the pull of his country and wants to be part of change.

“They need help,” he said. “Maybe I can help somebody down there.”

That’s all down the road. For now, Thang is eyeing the team’s next big meet — the Richard New Memorial Tournament in Canastota on Jan. 7. Who knows, Thang might treat himself to new wrestling shoes if things work out.

“I don’t see myself losing again until the states,” Thang said. “I don’t see myself losing again. That’s my goal, from the first day of wrestling, I want to be the champ.”

Donnie Webb can be reached at 470-2149 or dwebb@syracuse.com. 

 

Source : blog.syracuse.com

Undocumented 2 Burmese Refugees Arrested in Malaysia

by Theng,

Undocumented 2 Burmese refugees were arrested in Jeeteh of Terengganu state, Malaysia on 15 Nov 2011.

They both are Rohingyans and identified as Mr Sultan from Kyauktaw township and Mr Shamshu Alam from Maungdaw township of Arakan state, western Burma.

According to their friends, the raid was conducted by immigration and police authorities followed by Rela forces. The authorities entered into the home construction site at around 9:30am of the day and lifted 2 undocumented Rohingyans when the rest of UNHCR card holders were not arrested.

They both are detained in Ajil detention camp of Terengganu state and still await for UNHCR’s intervention.

Area based Rohingya representative in Terengganu said that there are about 500 Rohingyan refugees in Ajil, Tenah Merah and Juru detentions. Possibly only about 50 persons could be UNHCR card holders and the rest are undocumented including newly enterers.

A Rohingya leader in Kuala Lumpur said, "for this year no refugee has been deported nor sold out to trafficker. But a few were canned. UNHCR card holder detainees were able to get release within 3 months while undocumented refugees have to wait up to 3 months in order to complete registration with UNHCR. All undocumented refugees are unable to register with their refugee agency UNHCR due to limited or some often registration."

"However, the abusive conditions inside the detentions are still seen-able that include overcrowding up to 10 fold, malnutrition food providing, insufficient food and drinking waters providing are still taking place." He added.

Burmese Refugees Get American Style Christmas Thanks To Volunteers At A Greensboro Church

NC -- Burmese refugees were able to enjoy an American Christmas thanks to volunteers at a Greensboro church on Christmas day.

Close to 150 Burmese refugees attended a service and dinner at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church on Horse Pen Creek Road.

The Christmas mass started at 11:30 a.m., which was followed by a huge Christmas dinner. 

About 50 people volunteered to help serve dinner and give gifts to the children.

"There are so many people here, who have shown up to volunteer, on Christmas Day, when they could have been home with their families and things, but they came here," said organizer, Liam Stapleton.

Stapleton called it heartwarming.

"We're trying to integrate them into the communities here. And this is kind of that first step towards that.  So, we just want to make sure that they're welcome," he said.

Santa Clause was also in attendance to help distribute gifts to the refugees.

"It's wonderful. It's what Christmas is all about, being with people, helping them and just sharing the joy," said Freda Mandarano, who volunteered to help.

The refugees had to escape from Burma, which is now Myanmar, more than a decade ago.  They were forced to leave by the government.  Before they came to the U.S., many of the refugees spent 15 to 20 years in refugee camps in Thailand and Malaysia.

Source : http://www.digtriad.com/

Top 10 ASEAN Stories of 2011

EBG6NYSM4VCJ

Southeast Asia was overwhelmed by political brinkmanship, territorial disputes and natural disasters in 2011. Perhaps just as important, the courts also figured prominently with some of the region’s more colorful and notorious personalities feeling the full brunt of the law. Here are some of the biggest ones:

1. Southeast Asia’s Big Wet

Storms killed more than 2,000 people across the region with record floods and billions of dollars in losses chalked up by business primarily in Thailand and the Philippines, with Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos also taking a massive knock.

Floods were a constant fear throughout most of the second half of the year, culminating mid-December in a storm dubbed Washi that triggered flash floods and mudslides in the Philippines and left a thousand dead. Hardest hit were the cities of Cagayan de Ura and Iligan, where more than 250,000 were homeless.That natural calamity, like the typhoons that struck earlier in the year, came suddenly and proved almost as deadly as the floods in Thailand, which persisted for months.

The United Nations noted Bangkok had for years been warned about the need to develop a fully integrated approach to flood prevention. But the biggest impediment was convincing government, and this was made all the more difficult in Thailand where rapid changes in leadership had compromised the ability to plot long term strategies to combat floods.

International aid donors were quick to react with millions of dollars of food, supplies and medicine airlifted in. Harder to shift were attitudes. As waters rose, authorities complained that residents refused to budge, saying they feared looters.

Thailand is the world’s largest rice exporter and had expected a rice crop of about 25 million tons in 2012, a number that’s forecast to slump by a quarter. From livestock to poultry and computers to automobiles, industries are still counting the costs.

2.     Emerging Burma?

Thirteen months ago, the Burmese military allowed elections that resulted in the first civilian government coming to power since 1962. The poll – despite being widely regarded as a sham – has pushed the country in a direction welcomed by the international community.

President Thein Sein has revised laws on political parties, freed about 300 political prisoners, sought a conciliatory line with pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and stunned observers by defying one of its few allies, China.

Beijing had planned to build a mega-dam inside Burma, but the plan generated enormous local resentment, prompting Naypyidaw to suspend construction. The government has also legalized trade unions and eased censorship laws.

The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) applauded the moves and decided to award the ASEAN chair to Burma in 2014.

As U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived on an historic visit to encourage further reforms, Suu Kyi lent some support by announcing she would contest up-coming by-elections once her National League for Democracy (NLD) party had been re-registered.

However, 1,700 political prisoners remain behind bars and complaints of human rights abuses persist, particularly in the countryside, where ethnic conflicts continue, prompting warnings that Burma’s ruling elite still had a long way to go before convincing skeptics its reforms are anything but superficial.

3. Clean Malaysia

When a group of non-governmental organizations and opposition political parties decided to rally in support of fair elections in Malaysia, few had expected the police and politicians in Kuala Lumpur would react as harshly as they did.

Prime Minister Najib Razak had initially attempted to play down the protest by Bersih, which means “clean” in Malay, but changed his tune after Amnesty described the crackdown as the worst case of suppression seen in his country for years.

Police were deployed under “Operation Erase Bersih”. They sealed off roads, dispatched toxic water cannons and opened fire with tear gas as tens of thousands attempted to march towards the iconic Merdeka Stadium. Stampedes followed, and the crowds dispersed into smaller groups and taunted riot police armed with batons, guns and shields. Baton charges followed.

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, whose trial for sodomy was finally wrapped up at years’ end, was injured after police fired tear gas canisters into a tunnel. Protesters, however, remained defiant amid more than 1,000 arrests.

Most were too scared to wear yellow, the color synonymous with the movement. One man was dragged and kicked from outside the Chinese Maternity Hospital as tear gas was fired into the hospital’s grounds and next door at Tung Shing Hospital where protesters had sought shelter.

4. Yingluck Win Eases Tensions

Thailand was the only country in Southeast Asia to experience a change in leadership in 2011 after Yingluck Shinawatra and her Pheu Thai Party won a landslide victory over Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva in July.

Her win resulted in an easing of tensions at home and across the border and paved a way home for her brother and former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a bloodless 2006 coup. Her victory also delivered some respite for Thais frustrated by the long running and bloody standoffs between the Red and Yellow Shirts.

Importantly, victory generated an improved political climate with Phnom Penh, allowing for an easing of tensions along their border. At the 900-year-old Preah Vihear Temple where at least 10 people were killed in February when fighting broke out between Cambodian and Thai troops. A further 18 died when fighting erupted in April along other parts of the border.

Many thought her first task would be to negotiate an amnesty for her brother. However, Yingluck’s priorities were to change rapidly as the country’s worst disaster since World War II began to take shape.

Floods would take a heavy toll and redefine her first months in office, winning applause from her supporters and, perhaps too predictably, criticism from her political opponents.

5. End of a Deadly Era

Almost nine years after bombings by Islamic militants left 202 people dead on the idyllic Indonesian island of Bali, the last of the bombers was finally arrested, signaling an end to an historic manhunt and the War on Terror in Southeast Asia as defined by the first decade of this century.

Omar Patek was captured by Pakistani authorities in January following an apparent tip-off from U.S. intelligence. His arrest wasn’t made public for another two months.

The arrest afforded some closure for the relatives of victims and survivors of a tragic episode that heralded what became known as the Second Front in the War on Terrorism, covering Southeast Asia.

Osama bin Laden was killed soon after.

An explosives expert, Patek was Jemaah Islamiyah’s deputy field commander at the time of the first Bali bombing, committed amid calls for an Islamic caliphate across Southeast Asia. He’s also wanted in Australia, the United States and the Philippines, and is standing trial in Indonesia.

6. The Spratly Islands

Southeast Asian countries have seen an unwanted rise in tensions over the Spratly and Paracel Islands as China tries to flex its growing economic and military muscle. Tensions this year were perhaps at their worst yet with Chinese belligerence over the issue leading to rare protests in Vietnam.

Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan and the Philippines also have claims over the chain. Chinese claims are ambitious as the Spratlys lie across a sea and largely within the 200-mile limit of the Philippines and a political stone’s throw from Malaysia and Brunei.

In Hanoi, where the Paracels are particularly sensitive, protests were allowed and held in the lead-up to an ASEAN Regional Forum in Bali that was dominated by the Spratly issue. There was also a push to drop the name South China Sea. No one could agree on that either. Manila is now referring to it as the West Philippine Sea, the Vietnamese call it the East Sea.

Then Manila decided enough was enough and sent a political delegation of four to Pagasa Island, populated by about 60 Filipinos, within the disputed chain. They declared it Philippine territory and Beijing was hopping mad, again. Foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu insisted China held “indisputable sovereignty” over the island chain despite the geographical realities. None of its neighbors agree.

7. Khmer Rouge Tribunal

The Khmer Rouge Tribunal hit its stride with the three most important surviving leaders of the ultra-Maoists confronting the U.N.-backed court for crimes against humanity and delivering shocking testimony before the Extraordinary Chambers of the Courts in Cambodia (ECCC).

Prosecutors focused on the immediate forced evacuation of Phnom Penh and urban centers around the country after the Khmer Rouge seized control in April 1975. Brother Number Two Nuon Chea, one-time head of state Khieu Samphan and former Foreign Minister Ieng Sary denied the charges.

Nuon Chea says the Vietnamese were to blame for atrocities, including genocide. Between 1.7 million and 2.2 million people died under Pol Pot’s rule, which ended in January 1979 when invading Vietnamese forces pushed the Khmer Rouge into the countryside where conflict continued for another 20 years.

Construction of a massive Chinese-backed airstrip in the central province of Kampong Chhnang was telling. Beijing supported the Khmer Rouge throughout the Cold War.

At least 30,000 people were marched to the air strip and ordered to work. Conditions were so bad that many preferred suicide, choosing to leap under passing trucks. The court was told how every member of Pol Pot’s Standing Committee visited the site and encouraged people to work harder.

8. Singapore’s Irritated Elite

When a government loses a handful of seats at a general election with little impact on the overall governing of the state, the media attention is usually minimal. But in Singapore, where the authorities have for years’ encouraged nothing but whole-hearted support for their leadership, such losses seemed tragic.

At the 16^th parliamentary elections in May, the opposition polled better than ever. The People’s Action party (PAP), in office since independence in 1965, won a reduced 60 percent of the vote, down from 67 percent in 2006.

Still the PAP managed to win 81 of the 87 contested seats.

Singapore’s founding father, longest serving prime minister and, from 2004, the cabinet’s minister mentor Lee Kuan Yew, was upset and resigned. His son, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, subsequently urged citizens to become part of a cause to build a better Singapore.

He also described the poll as a watershed. Housing shortages, problems with public transport, a growing wealth gap and immigration were blamed for the PAP’s worst performance in its history. Singapore’s ruling elite isn’t used to criticism. The prime minister’s commented: “… the issue is not policies or whether we are doing right or wrong, but who is in charge, in power.”

9. People Smuggling

For Australia, the year began much the same way as it ended. People smuggling and illegal immigration dominated its agenda with Southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.

A refugee swap with Malaysia was struck down by Australia’s High Court as overloaded boats ferrying human cargo from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and Sri Lanka continued to land. This led to the December sinking of a boat off Indonesia, with perhaps 180 lives lost.

However, Prime Minister Julia Gillard insists a deal with Malaysia along with a regional solution remains the best way to combat people smuggling. More than 1,200 asylum seekers are being held in detention facilities on Christmas Island off Australia’s northwest coast.

10. Malaysian Heroics in London

One Malaysian deservedly won himself a place among the top stories of 2011 for being decent. Soft spoken Asyraf Haziq Rosli, stunned and bleeding, was filmed being helped to his feet after being beaten in East London at the height of the August riots.

The cameras then caught his apparent “rescuers” rifling through his backpack and stealing what they could. At least three million people watched the cowardly act on YouTube. But Rosli was applauded for his response, after initially suffering a broken jaw and lost teeth when 100 youths charged him and a friend.

“I feel sorry for them... It was really sad, for among them were children, boys in primary school. It was quite shocking,” the 20-year-old reportedly said.

Cameron said Rosli’s plight highlighted how things were “badly wrong in our society.”

Source : http://the-diplomat.com/

Malaysiakini brings cheer to refugee children

Dozens of bags filled with toys were delivered to a Burmese refugee learning centre in Kuala Lumpur by a videographer-turned-Santa Claus from Malaysiakini yesterday.

Maran Perianen, project director at Malaysiakini's citizen journalism programme, who doubled as Santa Claus for the first time in his life, described the event as "a joyous moment".

"I have seen Santa dishing out presents before, but this is the first time I had a chance to become Santa and give out presents," he said. "The experience was definitely out of this world."

Maran was accompanied by Malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan and 10 team members.

The toys were donated by Malaysiakini staff, while the contact to the Burmese refugee centre was established through the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

Two UNHCR interns helped the Malaysiakini staff carry the bags up steep stairs lined with small shoes leading to a large classroom with brightly coloured walls and a crowd of 70 audibly and visibly exhilarated children.

Santa, to his alter-ego's relief, was immediately recognised by the children, most between four to 10 years old. The toys were given out one at a time as they queued up in orderly anticipation.

Learning centres such as this are run by the refugee communities themselves as well as by several NGOs.

For the refugees, these centres are vitally important. Without them, it is highly unlikely that the refugee children would receive any education at all.

According to the UNHCR, at least 70 schools for refugees exist in Malaysia providing basic education to over 5,000 children.

The UNHCR provides funding, training and equipment to the community learning centres.

Bringing smiles to children's faces

"The children should look forward to this kind of excitement in their lives every day, not only during Christmas or other festive season," Maran said.

"This will make them feel loved and cared for."

Gan said that Malaysiakini encourages its staff to also raise funds for a number of worthy causes.

For example, it has a strict policy of not accepting gifts of any kind from individuals and companies, and all journalists are required to declare them to the office.

These gifts are later auctioned off among Malaysiakini staff and the money raised subsequently given to charities.

"It's great to be able to help bring a smile to the children's faces. Indeed, we did more than that - the kids were squealing with delights on receiving their raised subsequently given to charities.

"It's great to be able to help bring a smile to the children's faces. Indeed, we did more than that - the kids were squealing with delights on receiving their toys," he said.

Source : http://www.malaysiakini.com/

Myanmar refugees indulge in traditional fare during Christmas

WHILE many celebrate Christmas with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, fruitcake and pudding, it is not the same at the Myanmar refugee community in Kepong.

For the Yuletide season, their traditional delicacy comprises boiled wild boar, stir-fried potatoes, diced cucumber and wild boar soup.

To some, it may sound repulsive but this is what brings the Zo people of Myanmar together.

 

David Mung, 31, is the head teacher at Zo Children’s School, a day school for Myanmar refugee children, in Taman Wangsa Permai.

“Boiled wild boar is a delicacy in Myanmar during the holiday season. There is nothing fancy in cooking it. It is just boiled with some salt and pepper and we eat it with rice. For us, it is important that we preserve our culinary heritage despite being in a foreign country,” said Mung.

“In Malaysia, you have many different cultures, not to mention the wide array of local and international cuisines. We cannot afford to splurge on food. This is what unites us as it is a reminder of what we had back home,” added Mung, who fled Myanmar in 2008 with his mother and sister because of religious persecution and the economic crisis. He has been living in Malaysia ever since.

The Zos form a group of Tibeto-Burman people inhabiting the Chin Hills in Myanmar.

Belting it out: One of the kids at the Zo Children School singing along to “We Are The World”.

“Our people who are good at hunting will be in charge of catching the wild boars in the Chin jungles during Christmas. It was fun for us as a community to take home the wild boar, cook it and eat it together.”

Mung’s mother, Mary, 55, was the one in charge of preparing the home-cooked delicacies.

“It is not easy to cook the wild boar. The meat has to be boiled overnight so it will be tender,” she said.

Before the meal, the children sang along to We Are The World — not the 80’s version but the latest one produced in 2010, via YouTube.

“It’s my way to teach English in a fun way. I also teach them songs from Boney M and Abba, which are my favourite bands,” said Mung.

The tiny Christmas tree at the school, situated on the first floor of a shophouse, was decked with mini-twinkle lights.

 

“We cannot afford a big, new Christmas tree so ours was donated,” said Mung last Saturday during their annual Christmas party.

Used toys comprising stuffed animals, cars and other items were laid on the floor where each had a number.

“Just like previous Christmas parties, we will include a lucky draw for the children to win some toys, donated by the public.”

There is no air-conditioning at the school which is no bigger than 900sq ft, but that doesn’t stop the festivities from taking place.

While many of us list high-tech gadgets and smartphones on our Christmas wishlist, the Zo children are over the moon to receive any toy, even though wrapped in recycled magazine pages.

Grace, 21, also from the Zo tribe, who works as a waitress at a nearby restaurant, volunteers her time at the school to help Mung.

“I’ve been in Malaysia for the past one year. Being at the school is like being at home for me,” she said.

The setting up the school was not an easy task for Mung.

“It was challenging because we didn’t have any money to buy books and basic school supplies. F,urthermore the parents questioned my qualifications as a teacher.

“But eventually they began to trust me with their children. Many of the parents are uneducated and work as odd-job workers. They needed someone like me to provide their children with the basic education,” said Mung, who runs the school with seven other teachers and volunteers.

The children, aged between three and 14, are taught Bahasa Malaysia, English, Science and Mathematics as well as music from 9am to 1pm. After they go home for lunch, they return in the afternoon to the school for computer lessons.

So far, the school has about 50 children. Mung is also a musician and learned his skills at a church in Myanmar.

“We cannot afford to buy new musical instruments so most of what we have like guitars and keyboards are donated,” Mung said.

Three years have gone by and Mung feels happy and tired at the same time.

“I stuck through the odds and hardships. As the head teacher, I feel it is important to teach the children good values. I look forward to many more happy Christmas occasions like these in future,” he added.

Hotel brings festive joy and cheer to Myanmar Chin refugees

HOTEL ARMADA Petaling Jaya paid a visit to a community of Myanmar Chin refugees who are currently living at a rundown flat in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.

The visit from the hotel’s staff was to shed some “festive light” while spreading Christmas cheer and joy to the refugees who have to live on the margins of society most of the time.

With the majority of the Myanmar Chins being Christians, it is also an early Christmas celebration for them.

Having left Myanmar to flee persecution, the Myanmar Chin refugees have found an uneasy transit point here in Malaysia.

Sharing joy: Hotel Armada employees posing with the refugees.

Travelling discreetly across Thailand’s forests and borders, risking their lives to get to a place where they can call “sanctuary”.

Originally from a small state called Chin in Myanmar where the majority of the population are Christians, they have run for their lives from forced labour, military rape and torture, religious persecution, and other severe human rights violations.

Being refugees, the majority of them do not have proper documentations to apply for a proper job.

With what minimal income they can bring in, they are forced to share a one-unit low-cost flat with a minimum of three families.

To help enlighten their burden, Hotel Armada Petaling Jaya donated in bulk basic necessities such as rice, instant noodles, biscuits and cooking oil.

Food aid: Hotel staff with the donations rice and food items for the Myanmar refugees.

Apart from presenting the food donation, the visit was also aimed at showing care and support to the refugees and to remind them that they too were cherished and respected in the spirit of Christmas.

The refugees received the donated goods from the hotel’s general manager Hoon Tai Chee, heads of departments and personnel.

A volunteer who looks after the Myanmar community in Cheras — Vincent Chen from the Church of St. Francis of Assi — was put in charge of distributing the rest of the donation among other refugee communities in the area.

Source : The Star

Refugees clean up neighbourhood

MYANMAR refugees have cleaned up playgrounds and back alleys of shop lots in Jalan Khoo Teik Ee as a part of a competition under the Jom Gotong-Royong programme.

Myanmar Refugees

The foreigners spent almost two hours cleaning up the areas around Jalan Khoo Teik Ee. Pics by Salhani Ibrahim

“The prize money will be channelled to the refugees’ committee.” Yante Ismail, UNHCR external relations officer

1 / 3

The event, organised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is also an effort by the foreigners to give back to the local community.

        The clean-up was carried out by members of the Chin Disciplinarian Action Committee (CDAC), which was formed  to discipline the tribal group and maintain  peaceful relations with the local community.

      About 25 people were involved in the clean-up, which included sweeping the roadside and drains, as well as collecting garbage from 8am to 10am.

       UNHCR external relations officer Yante Ismail said the competition began last month and will end in January.

      She said UNHCR will evaluate conditions at the site of the clean-up before and after  to determine the winner.

      "The prize money will be channelled to the refugees' committee," she said.

      The grand prize is RM3,000 while second and third place winners will receive RM2,000 and RM1,000, respectively.

     CDAC chairman Lalsiammawi, 35,  said  although there are some bad apples, who had fought when drunk and caused trouble, not all the members were the same.

     "We've been cleaning up this area even before the competition. A lot of us wish to live peacefully during our stay here," he said, adding that they are grateful for UNHCR's support.

      He said previously, City Hall helped them during the clean-up.

    "Some local residents gave a thumbs up when we were cleaning," said Lalsiammawi.

      Chin Refugee Committee medical coordinator Patrick Sang Bawi Hnin, 26, said the refugees' effort is a show of thanks  for the shelter that the country has provided during their troubled times.

     "This is our way of showing our appreciation," said Sang.

     Restoran Soo Kee worker, Kok Ming, 54, said apart from the clean-up, the foreigners should also stop the habit of spitting all over the place after chewing  betel leaf.

    "It is a horrendous habit that makes customers feel uncomfortable," said Kok Ming

Jalan Imbi 7-Eleven store manager Noorazilah Zakaria, 26, said CDAC has been a great help.

     "They have stopped fights among their people," she said on the effectiveness of the committee members.

       Yante  said it is hoped that clean-up efforts by the CDAC will help iron out misconceptions about refugees and  reduce negative sentiments towards the foreigners.

    "Unlike migrants, refugees are here because they could not go back to their countries for economic opportunities,"  she said.

             Yante said  some were allowed to perform  menial jobs  by the Home Ministry as a humanitarian gesture by the Malaysian government.

      "However, there are no distinctive laws to properly govern them yet."

There are about 95,000 refugees in Malaysia, with about 86,000 coming from Myanmar

Read more: Refugees clean up neighbourhood - Central - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/streets/central/refugees-clean-up-neighbourhood-1.21696#ixzz1hF7OOyUm

Karen immigrants find viable employment option

ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP) — Sixty-one Karen refugees from Myanmar are now helping Molded Fiber Glass meet its employment needs

The Karen (pronounced ka' ren or kuh-ren) began immigrating to the United States about 20 years ago after fleeing persecution in their native land. Most spent months and sometimes years in refugee camps in Thailand before immigrating to primary settlement sites in the U.S.

Many of those now making wind turbine blades at Molded Fiber Glass previously lived in Huron, a primary settlement city, where they worked at the Dakota Provisions turkey processing plant.

Other Karen have come to Aberdeen from St. Paul, Minn., Spokane, Wash., and other primary settlement sites, said Dave Giovannini, Molded Fiber Glass general manager.

The workers that have been hired so far have been excellent, said Giovannini said.

"They have performed exceptionally well," said Travis Sexton, shift supervisor. "It has been an easy transition. All four of the gentlemen I work with have been quick learners and hard workers. Once they get going, it is hard to get them to stop."

Molded Fiber Glass, which employs 390 workers, needs to hire more because there is a strong demand for wind turbine blades, Giovannini said.

"We have an immediate need for 60-70 workers, and with low unemployment in the region, there were just not enough people available," he said. "We have not been able to meet our employment needs. So we had to look outside the box and look at the model used by Dakota Provisions."

Saw Khu Thar, 31, was one of the first Karen hired by Molded Fiber Glass four months ago. Previously, he worked at Dakota Provisions.

"I used to work in the turkey plant, but it was very cold inside," he said. "I wanted to work in different place."

Thar spent time in a refugee camp in Malaysia before immigrating to Dallas. There he was able to get only part-time employment for minimum wage. He moved to Huron to get a better paying job and now has moved to Aberdeen.

"I am happy for my job here," he said.

Baw Htoo Khet, 29, was also in the first group of Karen hired four months ago. He moved from Spokane to Aberdeen with his wife and two children. He and his family are renting an apartment, and their children attend May Overby Elementary School.

"This job gives me a better future," he said.

In Myanmar, which most Karen refer to as Burma because of their opposition to the ruling dictatorship, life for Karen was dangerous.

"We could have been killed if we stayed there, Khet said.

His family fled the country to a refugee camp in Thailand before immigrating to the U.S.

Khet speaks English well and translates for his friends when needed.

About half of the Karen at Molded Fiber Glass can converse in English, while half have little or no English skills, Giovannini said.

The Karen are legal immigrants who receive resettlement assistance from agencies such as Lutheran Social Services and qualify for government assistance for eight months until they find employment. Debra Worth, associate director of the Lutheran Social Service South Dakota Refugee and Immigration Center in Sioux Falls, is one of those helping Karen in the area.

Molded Fiber Glass has dedicated many resources to helping the Karen, Giovannini said.

The Human Resources department including director Rebecca Duke, Dawn Vaux and Tammy Spellman work with Karen to find housing, transportation and other essentials needed for their settlement in Aberdeen.

Giovannini said the Karen have been through difficult times and are committed to making a good life for themselves in this country.

"They want to make it," he said.

Nu Pay, 42, a Karen worker, moved to Aberdeen from Spokane, where he worked as a lay pastor with Karen in the Baptist Church. He is married and has one child. He had attended Bible school in Myanmar. Many Karen are Baptists, having first been exposed to the religion by missionaries in the 1800's, according to Friends of the Karen of Burma website.

Pay said he would go back to his country if he could, but that is not possible as long as there is no freedom there.

Saw Aung Lwin, 40, another Karen worker, said most Karen are sad they had to leave their country.

"We hide our feelings sometimes," he said. "But we try to do the best we can do."

He previously worked as a foreman at the turkey plant in Huron, but he said the cold temperatures began bothering his arthritis. He prefers manufacturing wind turbine blades, he said.

"I can find more opportunities to be myself here," he said.

Information from: Aberdeen American News, http://www.aberdeennews.com

Greensboro parish welcomes Burmese refugees

GREENSBORO — For about 100 Burmese refugees living in the Triad, Christmas Day will be more than a celebration of Jesus' birth. It will be a chance to worship freely, in their own language.

A Mass at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Greensboro will be said in Burmese and will include liturgical elements that are traditional in the Southeast Asian country. Afterward, St. Paul parishioners will celebrate with the refugees over a Christmas dinner and gifts. For some of the refugees, most of whom spent years in refugee camps before coming to the U.S. in the past few years, it will be the first time in years they have been able to receive the Eucharist or hear a Mass in their own language.

"It makes it so meaningful to them when the celebration is in their language," said Redemptorist Father Vang Cong Tran, a priest in residence at St. James the Greater Church in Concord, who will celebrate the Mass. He works with Asian refugee communities across the diocese, including a more established Burmese community in Charlotte. "The Mass is very important ... when the Mass is in their culture, in their language, in their history – it makes it real to them."

Pictured above: A young Burmese refugee prays at a Mass in Winston-Salem recently. "They long for the Eucharist," said Father Vang Cong Tran, who ministers to Asian refugee communities across the Diocese of Charlotte.

The journey to this precious Christmas gift began in 2010, when parishioners from St. Paul Church visited a refugee camp in Malaysia and spent time with refugees.

"Two of my former students (at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Ohio) are now ordained and serve as priests in (Burma)," said Father John Allen, St. Paul's pastor. "I wished to learn about their experiences as priests but knew that a personal visit in their country would be impossible."

Father John Allen, pastor of St. Paul Church in Greensboro, addresses Burmese refugees during a parish trip to Malaysia last year. The parish is working to help Burmese living in refugee camps in Asia and those who have come to the U.S. (Photos by Liam Stapleton) Burma, now called Myanmar, has been under the rule of a military junta since the 1960s and only recently has begun showing signs of liberalization. The United Nations has condemned the government for human rights violations, and ethnic and religious minorities including Catholics have been systematically persecuted. The government's harsh rule has caused thousands, most of them indigenous people, to flee across the border to Thailand or Malaysia.

Among them is Mark Khup, who now works with Catholic Social Services in its Charlotte refugee resettlement office. He came to the U.S. in 2008 after spending three years in a refugee camp in Malaysia. Burmese are forced to labor for the military, he says, doing tasks such as putting up tents. Church communities are often not allowed to use their buildings for services; a church in his community was decommissioned and the land slated for a Buddhist temple.

Indigenous communities are often forced from their homes and resettled, said Liam Stapleton, a St. Paul parishioner who was part of the Malaysia visit. "When they get displaced out of their communities ... they've lost their identity," Stapleton said. "The mainstream people in Burma burned their houses down and they had to run over the hills into Thailand. (But) a lot of times life is not better over there."

St. Paul parishioners hope to help the Burmese on two levels: those in refugee camps and those who have emigrated to the U.S. Health care and education are two key needs in the camps, and St. Paul is working to establish a scholarship fund for children there. And here in North Carolina, the parish is offering a faith home and working with Father Tran to help refugee communities across the state. New arrivals need housing, furniture and household goods, clothing, and often lessons in English.

The needs are great, and parishioners are still figuring out how best to help. It's a puzzle, but "the jigsaw is coming together," Stapleton said.

After years of upheaval, the safe haven of a Mass in the refugees' own language is a balm to the spirit.

"They long for the Eucharist," said Father Tran. "They know that the Church loves them and encourages them."

Settling into a new life in the U.S. is challenging, Father Tran said, but having a nurturing faith community helps. "People appreciate the welcoming hearts."

Source : news.charlottediocese.net

Refugee agency aids newcomers

By Steve Schmadeke, Chicago Tribune reporter

 

December 22, 2011

Four years after government persecution pushed him to flee his family's farm in Myanmar, Thangtung Pau found himself flying from Malaysia to Chicago on his 32nd birthday.

Pau arrived at O'Hare International Airport in July without much more than his refugee status and the English he had taught himself from a book. Five months later, Pau has a job as a maintenance worker at a Gold Coast gym, a small Edgewater apartment and a strong grip on conversational English.

He credits RefugeeOne, a nonprofit in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood, with helping him find his way in a new country.

"RefugeeOne is I feel like my parents since I arrived in Chicago because they help me in my everything," he said. "They taught me not only speaking English but also they taught me job class. That is awesome."

The agency, which changed its name last year from Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Ministries, opened its first office in Chicago in 1982. It helps settle 400 to 500 refugees each year. Over the years, it has assisted waves of newcomers from Iraq, Sudan, Cambodia, Nepal and Haiti, meeting each one at O'Hare with a case manager who speaks their language.

Once here, the agency provides refugees with a furnished apartment, job training, mental health and wellness services, and help procuring a Social Security number and other documents. Refugees arrive already in debt — they are obligated to repay the U.S. for the cost of their plane tickets — and the goal is to help them become self-sufficient as quickly as possible.

"They're survivors. They made it here. They made it through thick and thin to come to the United States," Executive Director Greg Wangerin said. "They have the energy, they have the enthusiasm, they have the desire to get their feet on the ground — and we're just here to help unlock a few doors."

Wangerin said most of the refugees now arriving in Chicago are Myanmar coming out of Thailand and Malaysia and Bhutanese from Nepal, along with Iraqis and a smaller number of African refugees from Somalia or the Darfur region of Sudan.

On a recent weekday, arrivals from Myanmar, Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea worked through an exercise about English past-tense verbs in one classroom while a handful of students in a neighboring computer lab puzzled out sentence structure.

Earlier that day, a group of Sudanese men met with Aimee Hilado, a clinical social worker, for group therapy. Some discussed fleeing Darfur and living as nomads for two years before settling in Kenyan refugee camps.

Hilado said a large number of refugees arrive in Chicago with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

"Some are also grieving for the people they left behind," she said. "We want them to be able to feel that emotion but still be able to engage."

Government agencies provide about 75 percent of RefugeeOne's $2.5 million budget, with the rest coming from private donations. RefugeeOne is one of many area nonprofits to receive financial support from Chicago Tribune Holiday Giving, a campaign of Chicago Tribune Charities, a McCormick Foundation Fund.

The agency gets a one-time payment of $1,850 per refugee from the federal government, which is typically used up just setting up an apartment, Wangerin said. Gentrification in North Side neighborhoods where cheap apartments were once abundant has made it more difficult, he said.

Refugees apply for the same public aid available to Illinois residents, which expires after eight months, so the pressure is on to quickly find work, an obvious difficulty in today's job market.

"(We make it work) by hook or by crook with chewing gum and baling wire," Wangerin said.

Though some refugees arrive with an overly sunny view of America's job market, Pau, who spent several years in Malaysia applying for asylum, quickly learned differently.

"The United States is very different from Malaysia or Burma to get a job," he said. "So when I saw that point, I tried to improve my English faster."

Pau now plans to begin studying to earn a truck driver's license and hopes that his wife and 7-year-old daughter will be able to join him in Chicago, perhaps even next year.

"I'm very excited to get a job that I love," he said. "I gave thanks to God."

Please donate now to Chicago Tribune Holiday Giving. Give online at holiday giving or call 800-217-3190.

Refugee Monologues

Refugee Monologues

By: Diana van Oort

Give them a face, a name and let them tell their story, By: Diana van Oort

Give them a face, a name and let them tell their story and refugees will be seen as people, not as numbers and be ignored. This is what The Actors Studio in cooperation with the UNHCR did in October. ‘Life Sdn Bhd 7: refugee’, shows you a glimpse into the lives and challenges of some of the refugees living in Malaysia. Honest and compelling stories that often go unheard, told by seven refugees: Khampi, Ngun Siang, Raine, Sharifa and Trasia (Myanmar), Theepika (Sri Lanka) and Ahmed (Somalia). They talked about fear, death, isolation and being homesick, but also about hope and happiness.

Burmese Refugees in Malaysia

Most of the almost 95.000 registered refugees in Malaysia are from Myanmar (formerly called Burma) and most are members of one of the minorities. They fled their country because of political or religious prosecution or the sheer terror of the regime. Some were professionals, like nurses, teachers or pharmacists, many others just farmers caught in a dirty war.

It’s a challenge to start over in a new country, especially since refugees in Malaysia don’t have an official status and don’t have access to legal employment. Therefore many are almost condemned to do dirty, dangerous and difficult jobs. Some employers pay them a decent wage, others don’t keep their promises and pay them too little or nothing at all. The children can’t go to a normal school, but some are able to attend community school.

There are no refugee camps in Malaysia. The refugees just live among the Malaysians, more often than not in small, overcrowded apartments. They are almost invisible. Not speaking English they feel isolated, because they are stuck at home, just not doing anything, not being able to work or go to school. The refugees try to help each other: who has a job supports the others who don’t. Learning English so they can find a job or go to school is what the refugees did. Especially the younger ones long for a good education so they have a change of a better life.

...and refugees will be seen as people, not as numbers and be ignored, By: Diana van Oort

Refugees Take the Stage

Theirs is a heart wrenching story of detention, abuse, fear, neglect, and humiliation. But there are stories of resilience, courage, hope and love as well. The stories are complemented by songs. Deborah Priya Henry, Miss Universe Malaysia 2011 and refugee rights advocate shared her experiences in working with refugees. So did Susheela Balasundaram who ran a mobile clinic for refugees and worked for doctors without borders. She now works for the UNHCR.

Songs complementing the stories, By: Diana van Oort

It was impressive to see the emotions that were just lying below the surface. You felt so much more pain and suffering than they were telling. Having read many stories especially about Myanmar, I could fill in the blanks easily.

If you’re new to the subject, the stories are a nice introduction, but less and longer stories maybe could have given more depth and understanding to the plight of the refugees.

Source : http://latitudes.nu/refugee-monologues/

The cold realities of life in Malaysia as a refugee

Having returned recently from working with refugee communities in Malaysia, I was shocked to see headlines stating that the government was again talking up the supposed benefits of the now defunct Malaysia agreement.

Vulnerable people are still being detained. Conditions in Malaysia's detention centres are still cramped and appalling. UNHCR is still regularly visiting the centres in order to get people released, but the ability for any other organisation to get in to see what is really happening is almost non-existent.

Children as young as three are still being detained, rounded up, without their parents.

I spoke with a 14 year old girl, Yasmeen* who had only recently arrived from Afghanistan. Facing violence in her home country she was sent by her family, on her own, to stay with family friends in Kuala Lumpur. While she had been able to register with UNHCR she was told it would be 7 months before they could interview her to determine whether or not she was a refugee.

Yasmeen chatted to me happily until her friend started talking about how the police had stopped and questioned her mother and how she managed to get away. Yasmeen’s smile rapidly disappearing, frantic questioning ensued, the cold realities of living in Malaysia as a refugee being to dawn on her.

Right now Malaysia is starting to register "undocumented migrants" including refugees under the 6P programme. So far approximately 1.3 million undocumented workers have been registered. With an estimated further million still unaccounted for it appears the Malaysian government is gearing up for another major crackdown on anyone it deems 'illegal'.

"It appears the Malaysian government is gearing up for another major crackdown on anyone it deems 'illegal'."

What will they do if they find 14 year old Yasmeen? With only a letter from UNHCR to protect her, will she be allowed to contact them to get her out of detention? How long will that take?

Equally disturbing about the Australian government’s statement, at the recent ALP conference, was the linking, again, of an increase to our offshore humanitarian program (from 13,750 to 20,000) with the successful implementation of the Malaysia agreement. UNHCR and others were quick to again highlight the fundamental differences between our obligations to protect those seeking asylum here, as opposed to an immigration resettlement program designed to show solidarity with poorer countries hosting the vast majority of the world's refugees.

As the government continues to advocate Malaysia as a 'solution', my visit showed me that the country's authorities have a very different idea for refugees. If the government believes we can take 20,000 people, then should do it and not link it to an arrangement that undermines international human rights law and our obligations under this legislation

Graham Thom is Refugee Coordinator for Amnesty International Australia

*The name and photo above have been changed to protect identities

 Source : www.amnesty.org.au