Refugees: No Place for Bury and No Place for Funeral

14th May,2010
Kuala Lumpur

The recent groundbreaking news prohibiting refugee burying in the cemetery unlike before which had been long shared and allowed to use for more than a decade waves a great in awe shock towards the Refugee Bodies and Communities in Malaysia. It is believed that there may be more than hundreds of thousands of refugee in Malaysia and in it, 80% out of 100% refugees dwelling in Malaysia are from Burma, also known as Myanmar according to the data of UNHCR Office based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Funeral service in Seremban cemetery

The figure is clearly showing that it’s been such a huge number and community, as are a people fleeing to escape from the systematic ongoing violation of human rights and abuse over the religion and the political causes in the lovely motherland, that they also truly need for a place, besides of all the basic elements as a people, for bury in case of death which can’t be predicted as always can happen at any times in any moments.


Reasonably citing, since the start of refugee running and migrating here (Malaysia) in the year of 1999 but the recognisation of refugee status was initially begun in 2001 by the UNHCR, it was, honestly mentioning, found out that there’s very few number of death lines at that time according to the community report surveyed.

Furthermore, according to the reported data provided by CRC, so far we have 31 cases of death in the first post-quarter of 2010 and which is the same quantity of the total of the whole 2009. Those were of definitely reported only. So sorry for the failure of providing the detailed information as to beefing up the numbers of the rest of years from the establishment of Chin Community. It was not because of lack of an attempt but because of data system change and lack of the systematic transferring of data by those resettled in the third countries. It is of course realistic that former community leaders are incumbently responsible of the filing cases.

The pastor saying words of farewell in the cemetery

Back to the issue, it is so odd that when it came to exercise funeral service of the Chin guy from Mara on 12.05.2010 at Sungai Buloh cemetery, the populations of mourners are immediately limited and the main entrance which was usually used is prohibited by the landowners at once. No one dared to cry over the dead but feeling bitterly inside because of the fact that the ban over refugee activity with regard to funeral service in way of Christian patterns. They best controlled themselves at the midst of the deep sorrow. In fact, all Chin refugees are Christian. The scene appeared very disappointing to any one of refugees. No surprise, it was known later that they highly fear that they would be fined and stopped by the higher authority if found selling lands for refugee bury and mourners congested around here, said one of the funeral service organizers.


“I have been dealing with the landowners as well as agents for ages in the matter of buying land for bury and signing for responsibility. But for now, their furious tone of response when contacted leaves me too much more astounded that they mentioned that Myanmar is bigger than Malaysia and you can go your homeland and bury there. Warning from the authority has been signaling that they could be arrested provided that the authority found people of refugee gathering more than 20 persons in the cemetery in addition to selling tomb to any refugees has been banned” cited chairman of Zotung Community.

Sadly, another problem the Chin community facing is the death tolls rising much more doubled than any years of before. The certain thing we are to encounter is the place for bury and the place for funeral service as is a farewell practice rite of our Christianity for the dead which is purely conceived as a part of consolation for the left family and cousins and relatives at the same time.

 

The speculation in relation to the funeral is being soared higher and higher. Unless this problem is partly helped solved, the future problematic bury of refugee would be another question unanswered or every dead body of refugee would be cremated or thrown away in the river in the days to come or would be like the uncountable body floating over in Ganga river in India.

For the sake of refugee, it's been time to call for the UNHCR intervention and NGOs rescuing in the wake of the authority mercy and the government awareness. Truth, any refugees, so far, can never be allowed to represent in terms of meeting with the government. Thus, the local action towards the refugees can be a matter of most importance. 

 

by Simon