Page 1 VOCR Weekly Newsletter(Vol.
1, Issue 10) February 09, 2009
Editorial,
The path of a refugee
There is a Burmese inspiring folk story that says
about a woman living in fear. The story is like this
- Long time ago, there was a poor woman in a
village near to a forest. One day the woman went
to collect fire woods, unexpectedly she heard
sound of roaring. She was so scared of that she hid
around the bushes and gradually approached a
gentle man. As soon as she met, with the gentle
man, she felt very much comforted but not very
long after that moment, the poor pretty woman
discovered that the gentle man was worse than the
tiger.
A refugee’s life is desperate one. A refugee would
find for the safety of his life in any possible means
and approach any direction that is first available
for him/her. Refugee life is sometime just like the
poor woman in the story. Inevitable choices are
laid in front of refugees. The situation forced
refugees to approach sometimes the wrong place
where the wrong persons who look down them and
abuses their rights.
Refugee usually faces additional inevitable human
rights abuses in their transit countries before
resettlement to third countries where they would
reestablish a new life.
Sometimes it is also common that the one that
helps or is working for refugees also unknowingly
committed human rights violations upon the
refugees. However, the refugee would not spoke
up about it fearing for their further solutions.
So, where should a refugee go? A refugee
approaches human trafficker and a refugee
approaches insecure places of occupation but just
for survival. Sometimes, a refugee inevitably
walks through bridges where mocking, assaults
and discrimination are still around.
The path of a refugee will only be destined at a
place where he/she will gain all his rights as a
human.
VOCR Weekly Newsletter is issued by VOCR News Group, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
8 months pregnant asylum-seeker woman
and children detained in Malaysia
Salai Eagle
VOCR, March 2, 2009
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
8 months pregnant, asylum-seeker woman from
Burma and her two children were arrested in
Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, by Rela operation on 30th
of January 2009. They have been detained in
Semeyith detention camps in Malaysia.
Pi Hoi Cer, 8 months pregnant belongs to Chin
ethnicity from Burma. Her 13 years old daughter
Par Iang Hnem and two years old son called Van
Bawi Lian were also arrested together with pi Hoi
Cer at their resident in Ampang, KL.
As the woman’s relatives had reported about her
details to Chin Refugee Center in KL, it is known
that the center has requested UNHCR office in KL
for further intervention for the women and
children in the detention center.
Furthermore, it has been known that UNHCR had
already intervened for the asylum-seeker family in
the detention and granted the opportunity to have
registration.
Ms. Sei Tin Lal who is supposed to depart to USA
for resettlement of 5th of March was also arrested
on 20th of February 2009. She has been detained in
Lengang detention camps. She was arrested at
Jalan Imbi.
Nowadays refugees in Malaysia especially who
are in Kuala Lumpur have been living in fear for
night raids that has been constantly heard in
different places of Kuala Lumpur.
Peter, a Chin refugee from Burma said, “Last
Saturday night, I was informed that there will be
raid at our building that night, so I left my room
and stayed at my friends for one night, but the raid
did not happened actually.”
Page 2 VOCR Weekly Newsletter(Vol. 1, Issue 10)
VOCR met a Chin refugee patient in Kuala
Lumpur Hospital
Salai Ram Nun Cung
VOCR, March 2, 2009
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Pu Hme Ceu, a Chin refugee from Van Zang
village, Thanthlang Township in Chin State was
visited by VOCR at Chowkit in Kuala Lumpur
Hospital. Pu Hme Ceu has been feeling kidney
disease and lung T.B for more than 3 months.
He has been hospitalized at Kuala Lumpur
Hospital since February 23, 2009 and he has
treatment with his UNHCR document (RN
1236868). He is about 36 years old and is very
thin because of his sickness.
He has three children and they stay at Klang, about
70 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur. He arrived to
Malaysia in 2006 and he was registered by
UNHCR in 2007.
The wife and children arrived to Malaysia in 2008
but they still do not registered with UNHCR. His
wife is very discomfort for her beloved husband
because when blood donation is required, his wife
has to sign for an agreement with a doctor but she
does not have rights to sign, as she is
undocumented.
His wife said, “I feel very sad because we are
facing financial problem so seriously as well as
worrying for the arrest and detention while my
husband is till in critical condition.”
The doctor said, “He is in critical condition so we
can assure only 50% for his recovery.”
Since June 2008, UNHCR has stopped registration
of family member and dependents of refugees to
include in the principle applicants. It is believed
that shortage of man power is the main cause of
the delay. While waiting for registration, refugee
families with young kids and women had been
facing daily challenges and living in fear, as they
are undocumented.
The refugee families have been told by UNHCR
office to give their names to their respective
community offices in order to register their family
members and dependents.
VOCR Weekly Newsletter is issued by VOCR News Group, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
February 09, 2009
Contact Us: VOCR News Group
Email: vocrnews@gmail.com,
Phone: 006016-9160018, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
VOCR weekly newsletter is issued and owned by
VOCR news group which is an independent and non-
profit news service focusing on Burma political issues
and the Chin refugees in Malaysia.
UNHCR Asked To Verify Status First
Before Issuing Refugee Cards
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 19 (Bernama)
The United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) was on Thursday urged to
verify the actual status of people seeking asylum
in Malaysia before issuing them refugee cards.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said
this was to prevent indiscriminate issuing of
refugee status that caused the country to be
flooded with foreigners.
"Actually, those eligible to receive the card are
political refugees. But the UNHCR likes to issue it
to whoever asks for its help, including economic
refugees.
"My ministry hopes the UNHCR will evaluate the
people seeking refugee status before issuing the
cards. We do not want crime and social problems
to proliferate here because of the actions of the
UNHCR," he told reporters after holding a
meeting on the hiring of foreign workers for
employers here.
Syed Hamid said this in commenting on the issue
of illegal immigrants flooding the country and the
crime and social problems that arise as a result.
He also said the UNHCR often faulted the Home
Ministry when the authorities took action against
UNHCR refugees who committed crimes or broke
the country's laws.
"I hope the UNHCR as professional body will act
according to the UN Charter.”
Page 3 VOCR Weekly Newsletter(Vol. 1, Issue 10)
Christian Institutions Ordered To Close
Cultivation allowed only after paying tax to Down In Rangoon
Burmese Army
Khonumthung News Van Biak Thang
Chinland Guardian
25 February 2009 28 February, 2009
The Burmese Army authorities are not providing
permission to clear forests and sow rice saplings
without taking tax from the people in Chin state
western Myanmar.
A report said that the Matupi based IB (304) has
ordered all farmers to pay tax for rice cultivation
to the tune of Kyat 20,000 per land as the military
has already occupied the particular stretch in
Ngala block.
“The land belonged to our ancestors. But the
military has seized it and added it to its territory as
it was very close to their camp. They came up with
an excuse that their camp would be burnt if
farmers set fire bushes to clean the area to sow rice
seeds,” said a local.
The settlers in Ngala block had already cleared
over100 acres of the forest in January, but the
military stopped them and asked them to pay tax
first before cultivation.
In Chin state, people are totally dependent on rice
as it is their staple food. Now they are facing the
problem of paying tax – money or rice -- to the
authorities of the Matupi based military. They
cannot survive without cultivating rice, he added.
“The farmers do not have any rights without
paying the tax. So we give all we have, whatever
they demand from us,” he added.
Similarly, the Forest Department in Falam has
collected Kyat 2000 an acre from Auhmun, Palte,
Laizawl, Tilum and Lumte villages as land and
wood taxes in the first month of this year.
A report said that the Falam District Peace and
Development Council (DPDC) had told the Forest
and Revenue Departments not to collect taxes on
land and wood in 2008. But the collection
continues in some villages, located far from the
town.
VOCR Weekly Newsletter is issued by VOCR News Group, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
February 09, 2009
At least three Bible colleges and two orphanages have
been ordered to shut down by the local SPDC
authorities in Mingalardone Township, Rangoon, the
former capital of Burma, Chinland Guardian has
learned.
In a letter issued on 24 February 2009 to orphanages
and colleges, Chairman of the local SPDC asked the
institutions to stop running if they do not possess the
official permission and registration. Sources confirmed
that one of the colleges has been ordered to close
down even though it has got an official registration
since 1970s.
The local SPDC authorities accused that the colleges
do not have permission from the government and that
the place and building are not meant for religious
activities. A Chin pastor and activist, Rev. Shwekey
Hoipang said: "As we all have already known, most of
the churches, mission organisations, orphanages and
para-churches have been closed and sealed recently
by the military regime. It is an ongoing crackdown on
Christian growth in Burma and is a careful strategy and
plan of the regime."
Sources claimed that the SPDC authorities carry out
their repressive crackdown from one township to
another, targeting Christians and their activities in
Rangoon and that it is likely that this will soon go
beyond the former capital city throughout the whole
country.
The unnamed founder of one orphanage is said to be
downhearted and very much concerned about his
orphan children after the local authorities issued an
order to send them back to places where they came
from.
Since December 2008, more than 100 churches in
Rangoon's South Dagon and Pabedan townships have
been shut down, about 50 pastors forced to sign the
documents promising to stop holding church services,
and 80 per cent of churches in Rangoon affected,
according to a report by Christian Solidarity Worldwide
(CSW).
Some local Christians believe that the immediate
cause of the oppressive measures is church
involvement in relief provision for victims of Cyclone
Nargis.
In 2004, Chin Human Rights Organisation (CHRO)
published a report 'Religious Persecution: a Campaign
of Ethnocide against Chin Christians in Burma' which
revealed the military regime’s systematic persecutions
against Chin Christians as part of a program to
Burmanzie the Chin people and various acts of
ethnocide against Chin Christians by trying to destroy
the Chin religious and cultural identity.