124 Chin refugees and asylum-seekers arrested in an unexpected raid

VOCR
April 24, 2009
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Unexpected operation raid against illegal migrants was held at Off Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur on April 22, 2009. Off Jalan Imbi is where Chin Refugee Committee office is located and other Chin ethnic refugees and asylumseekers are staying there. Jalan Imbi is well known by many Chin people because CRC office is located there. Chin Refugee Committee reported that about 300 people were arrested in the raid and out of them 124 were Chin asylum-seekers who have been approaching UNHCR office through Chin refugee communities' offices. Ten persons holder of UNHCR document also were arrested in the raid.

Two pregnant women and 18 minor children; some were 2-4 years old, were also arrested in the raid. The 106 Chin refugees and asylum seekers caught up in the raid are currently being held in Bukit Jali police station. Kennedy Lal Ram Lian, coordinator of the Chin Refugee Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia said: “No one has been released, not even UNHCR card holders.” 

More than 10 Chin detainees are UNHCR-recognized refugees awaiting resettlement to a third country. A local eye witness said, "A round 5:00 Pm in the evening, police who did not ware uniform came to Imbi by motor cycle and blocked the road. After that some more police arrived to the place and started raid. The arrested ones were sitting in line before there were taken by full of 6 Lorries. The raid finished at around 8:00 pm."

CRC reported that according to their record 124 Chin people were arrested in the raid but they received the name list of only 107. ACR reported today that some arrested children are under going medical treatment. It also said that 25 people were released again today as UNHCR interfered for them and the UNHCR office would be trying to help the arrested refugees and asylum-seekers. 

As Malaysian authorities had not exercised deporting the Burmese nationals, it is assumed that the detained asylum-seekers and refugees would be detained for months. The relatives of the arrested ones worry that they would be canned.a