Celebration of World Refugee Day Held in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur
VOCR
June 20, 2009

The United Nation General Assembly designated June 20 as world refugee day to recognize and celebrate the contribution of refugees throughout the world. The “World Refugee Day” celebration was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and more than 350 people, including representatives of every Burma refugee community and special representatives from UNHCR and NGOs, participated in the ceremony. The celebration was hosted by the Coalition of Burmese Ethnic Migrants (COBEM), marking the third year of celebrations in Malaysia and the tenth anniversary of World Refugee Day as established by the United Nations. 

The COBEM also requested to UNHCR to keep consistent work policies, to practice regular work procedures, and to proceed in their work process according to a defined work schedule without any further delay. COBEM also called on and requested the Government of Malaysia to stop the arrest of people who hold UNHCR documents, to be stop the deportation and trafficking of refugees to the Thai-Malaysia border, and to release pregnant women, babies, and children who are asylum-seekers and refugees, as well as the physically and the mentally ill.

According to the representative from UNHCR, there are more than 90,000 refugees from Somalia, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Iraq and Myanmar in Malaysia, but approximately 90% are Myanmar refugees. The UNHCR has registered more than 49,000 refugees in 2009 and estimated that more than 80% are Myanmar refugees. After COBEM finished reading their statement, the special representatives from ACTS, HAKAM and Tenaganita shared a statement on Refugee Day and encourage the refugees in Malaysia.