Page 1 VOCR Weekly Newsletter(Vol.
1, Issue 15)
Leadership training for refugee women in
Malaysia
VOCR
April 5, 2009
KL, Malaysia
One NGO working for refugee women in Malaysia called
Mang Tha Project held leadership training for refugee
women. The training was held on March 28 at ACR office.
Miss Arica from USA presented the lectures for the
women.
Miss Arica has been teaching
women around Asia countries.
ACR weekly news reported that
she will continue teaching the
refugee women on April 11 after
he will come back from other
country where she went to teach
women.
Mang Tha Project is running under the leadership of Ms.
Elodie from France and is bringing incredible advantages
for refugee women in Malaysia as many women learn
some income generating skills as well as others such as
this kind of trainings and workshops.
Moreover, under the Mang Tha project, health awareness
class has been held on every Friday from 2:00 pm to 3:30
at ACR office. Ms. Lurline(Canadian) and Ms. Milly(USA),
who have been whole heartedly and volunteering with
great love for refugees in Malaysia, will bring the lessons.
Two Chin Refugee Committees in Malaysia
had meeting for further cooperation
VOCR, April 4, 2009
KL, Malaysia
The two Chin refugee committees namely Alliance of
Chin Refugees and Chin Refugee Committee, in Malaysia
had meeting and discussion in order to work more
effectively for the Chin refugees in Malaysia. The meeting
was held on April 4, 2009 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The meeting includes about how to assist and work for
refugee children, minors, dependents and family member
of refugees in Malaysia.
The meeting is unusual and is the very first time with in
this year that the two refugee committees have been
sitting together with mutual understanding for a common
purpose, need and speak in a common voice.
April 6, 2009
Editorial
Do you hear the cry?
There was a very unusual and special game
tournament. It was remarkable because nine handicaps
were running for a 100 meter running race. All
competitors had their own forms of handicaps (But they
were not disables, they are capable ones!!). When
they ran for about half of their race, one of them fell
down and could not continue the race. The boy who fell
down screamed loudly as he felt so sad that his legs
were incomplete. The other runners paused their steps
and looked back with great concern. The spectators
were as calm as crystal opening their mouth wide as
they saw what happened in the race. All the eight
handicaps stopped their steps and went back together
to the young boy who fell down. They helped him stood
up; hold him from both of his arms. All of them
continued the race till the goal where people welcome
them with tears and deep happiness especially when
they saw the smiles from the young handicap boy.
That was the greatest success of the race. It was not
showing the strength of the competitors but love and
compassion. It was not about rules and regulations but
the most meaningful one in a human life that is “love
and compassion.”
What is really important in human life? The laws and
protocols are set for our love ones as well as for the
needy and for other human fellows. Every religion has
doctrine of sympathy and every nation has the concept
and practices of humanitarian ground that embrace the
fearing and desperate ones who need nothing but a
refuge.
Let’s listen to and hear about the cry of our human
fellows. We can do. We can help and we can save
them with love and compassions.
Salai Biak Lian Sang-
Director & Editor
Contact Us: VOCR News Group
Email: vocrnews@gmail.com,
Phone: 006016-9160018, Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia. http://vocrnews.blogspot.com
VOCR weekly newsletter is issued and owned by VOCR news
group which is an independent and non-profit news service
focusing on the Chin refugees in Malaysia in specific and Burma
political issues in general.
Page 2 VOCR Weekly Newsletter(Vol. 1, Issue 15)
Concerns Rise As More Chin Refugees being detained and facing rough condition in
Found Detained in Malaysia Malaysian detention camps.
Van Biak Thang
Chinland Guardian
04 April, 2009
An 'unknown' number of Chin refugees have been
found detained in Malaysia after a team of three
UNHCR officers and three interpreters visited the
Langkap detention centre at Teluk Intan in Perak last
Monday.
A source said more than an estimated 200 refugees are
in the detention centre and about 40 percent of it are
Chin including women. The Langkap detention centre
has been known among the refugees as having the
worst condition with caning punishment.
Mr. Ceu, who has been detained since July 2008 when
he was arrested with many other Chin refugees at
Cameron Highland, was quoted as saying: "We were
sentenced by the court to two strokes of the cane and
7-month imprisonment last December. It is not easy as
we are just being cooped up. There are many Chin
refugees in this centre and please pray for all of us."
The Chin detainees, according to one Chin witness,
have no other places to sleep but on the cement floor
without blankets and also get ill frequently as they are
not given enough food. He said those who do not
speak and understand Malaysian are shouted at,
threatened and even slapped. The Chin refugees face
harsh condition and abuses in detention camps where
slapping and kicking are common and normal, he
added.
On 1 April 2009, two lorries full of newly arrested
refugees arrived at the Langkap detention centre and
more than 20 Chin refugees were included. "We
shouted if there were any Chin refugees in the lorries.
Raising their hands, some women melted into tears
and cried once they heard our voices in Chin. After
encouraging them, we left uncomfortably," continued
the Chin refugee witness.
The Malaysian government has since January, 2009
stopped deporting refugees into the Thai-Malaysian
border where a deported refugee could get into the
hands of human traffickers.
The current situation of Chin refugees in Malaysia has
raised grave concerns among the Chin communities
and an email prayer request has been circulated and
launched across the globe for especially those who are
April 6, 2009
Asylum-seekers arrested in night raid
VOCR
April 3, 2009
KL, Malaysia
Within this week it had been reported to Chin Refugee
Committee office that 29 people were arrested in different
places in Malaysia. All of the arrested ones were asylum-
seekers from Burma who have registered with their
respective refugee community office in order to approach
UNHCR for registration and recognition as refugees.
10 women and 9 men who belong to Chin ethnicity in
Burma were arrested at the midnight of April 1 this year.
They were arrested at their residences in Ampang, Kuala
Lumpur. Those nineteen arrested asylum-seekers have
been detained at Langkap detention center in Perak
state.
It was also reported that in order to escaped from the raid
some jumped out of their widows whereas a man was
evidently injured.
Other people were also arrested at some areas in
Malaysia such as Klang Bays, Putra, Sg. Besi, Alor le
Banting. Total number of 30 people was arrested within
last week.
Asylum-seeker’s arrival to Malaysia
decreased and refugees’ regular departure
to third countries
VOCR, April 5, 2009
According to the records of the refugee community offices
in Malaysia, the numbers of asylum-seekers who fled
from the country and came to Malaysia have been
decreasing since middle of 2008. And it has been known
that from the middle of March to early April, only around
38 asylum-seekers arrived to Malaysia and most of them
are female who fled from the country for the safety of their
life and to unite with their family members who are
already in Malaysia. 24 out of 38 of new arrival were
females.
A Christian elder at a small community worship service
place in Malaysia said, “Till middle of 2008, every week at
least 10 new arrivals were introduced to the community
but nowadays, only 1 or 2 or sometimes no new arrivals
are seen in our community.”
At the same time numbers of refugees have been resettle
to third countries almost in daily basis. A survey based on
IOM shows that from March 30 to April 5, 315 refugee
families have been resettled to USA and 16 families to
Australia. On March 23, (70) families, March 24, (35),
March 25, (60), March 26 (40), March 30, (35), March 31
(35) and on April 1 (40) to US have been resettled.
A few numbers of families could not have the opportunity
on time as they were arrested and detained or facing
other inconveniences before their departure date to the
third countries.