No Escape Way From Thugs Threatening

Kuala Lumpur (VOCR),27 May: A man with a complete shock and being nervous as if he was in quest of somebody to whom his grave burden can be half-shared was interviewed by The VOCR and learning that he was a new-found victim of the cruel attack of thugs ordered by the Malay-Indian boss who badly mistreated dozens of  Chin employees in earlier of this month in Kepong, Selangor, a one hour drive from Kuala Lumpur.

The Chin recognised refugee, known as Mr. Thang Lian Mang, was severely beaten unconscious in a senseless random attack by a group of gangs in front of the said boss when Mr. Thang Lian Mang kindly helped out his bunch of friends requesting the payments from their boss. Soon after, he was taken to hospital in ambulance for medical treatment by the near-by police. After few hours, he was sent to jail in Bukit Jalil in stead of an investigation on the offenders. More than three months has he been detained in Bukit Jalil jail and eventually released on 25 of this month. 

Prior to this, there has been many times that he used to engage helping his fellows, those who are just struggling for the language, appeal for the unpaid salary from local bosses as he speaks Bahasa (the Malay) fluently despite some risks for life. But he said it worked well even though refugees like him have no choice and no avenue rights.

Asked of the past experiences he had gone through, he said he can not stand whenever he sees his fellows are frantically suffering from the malfeasance and rights denied due to the status.

In addition, it is so sad that he is currently taking a great care of his terrified brother, Nung Khan Muang, a member of ACR (Alliance of Chin Refugee), who was stabbed five times with a knife by the Bangladeshi and severely wounded and lay in a pool of blood in the restaurant whereas the victim worked together with many of other nationals in Klang Lama, western sub-urban area of Kuala Lumpur. In hospital, he was surgically operated three times with too much blood transfusion.

Three days later, the victim's brother learnt that his younger sibling was helplessly hospitalized and rushed to the hospital, GHKL, General Kuala Lumpur Hospital. So awe-inspiring that Mr.Thang Lian Mang's merciful request for reducing the account was granted by the head of surgery doctor upon learning that his brother was a true victim of gang-attacks.  

Meanwhile, traumatized victim's brother has so far paid the all-round bills mounted till Rm-2,300 in light of an invaluable rescue of his brother's recovery. He also told The VOCR that his traumatized brother is now being put up in their relative family for the time being because the fact that Thang Lian Mang comes to terms that he is really in need for work so that his ailing brother can have further medical treatment needed, adding that it seems for his brother it may take a very long time for recovery back to normal. 

By Simon

The Detention Crisis Worsens

Kuala Lumpur (VOCR), 24 May: Police men patrolling on duty in Seramban in Nagari Sembilan state, which is a five-hour drive from Kuala Lumpur and where hundreds of Chin refugees residing, stopped an asylum seeker of Chin woman, who is from Mindat Township, Chin state, Burma and was arrested in a plain sight of public on 03, February, 2011.   

The Chin asylum seeker, known as Hung Kee Shen, is said to be a member of Dai Community and holder of its community card. 

An eye-witness source suggests that she was arrested and her allegation was turned as a corruption in the court, despite the fact that the police initially asked of how much money was in her hands when stopped. To be true, she was too naive that she gave Rm-50 to the police, maybe, publicly. The police got angry at such scene and arrested her instead which was used as a best defense from the near-by passers' accusation that could perhaps turn back to them if bribe seen 'accepted'. 

She is currently being detained in Lenggeng Immigration detention center in women block with an alleged accusation over bribery giving.  

In new report obtained by The VOCR, there was an emerging issue highly impacted in the world of refugee community that some immigration personnel, including the prisoner brokers or smugglers, making the blackmailed-channel contacting related families of detainees in their respective centers and camps and cheating thousands and thousands of ringgit (Malay currency) from the hands of refugees in limbo. 

From last February to date, several communities together with Mon and Shan communities, so far paid more than RM-10,000 to the channel the Immigration personnel engineered it. And, they treacherously made promises to related families for the release of those concerned through their channel and nothing ever happened but a big loss of money.

Many refugee families still assume 'detention in camp' is an indirect way of death penalty for those concerned or a no-turn way. For this sole reason of fear-bound, many try their best to get their siblings, relatives and cousins out of detention centers or camps if, by no means, possible. 

This conflicting story will be going on as long as new stricted law enforcement which could effectively protect the asylum seekers or recognised refugees is not made. 

By Simon

Refugees Preyed in Detention Centers and Camps

Kuala Lumpur (VOCR), 19 May: This week it emerged that the fresh denial of an access to meeting the Chin refugee being detained in Malacca Immigration detention camp was a big worrying issue for CYO (Cho Youth Community). A group of CYO leader's team last Sunday with the recommendation letter issued by the UNHCR office visited the Malacca Immigration camp in an effort to release him after finding the victim's exact detention address concertedly provided by a Burmese fellow, who was recently released from the same cell in the said detention center.

Mr. Gei Mang, an asylum seeker, who is in process of seeking a total refuge under the Malaysia UNHCR, from Mindat Township, Chin State from Burma, was reportedly arrested while working in Malacca restaurant by the Immigration personnel in 28 of last month. But in a report revealed, his mother community (CYO) was hopelessly not able to make out of where he could possibly be detained in earlier times. Just a week ago, through the rigorous help of Burmese fellow, they could come to trace his whereabouts--it was not any where else but in the Malacca camp which is more than four hours drive from the capital, Kuala Lumpur city. 

 Mr. Kee Om, president of CYO, when contacted on the phone, told The VOCR that his team could not meet Gei Mang in person and can not even get any further details related to him because of denial of an access for meeting, although the fact that the first time the authority in the gate asked of how much money was brought along. The team honestly told them how much money was brought but the amount seems too little for their quenching interest and immediately turning their blind eyes to our utmost appeal. 

"Sadly desperate and disappointed, we returned home emptied handed", said one of the leaders in the team. 

The eyewitness incident suggesting that they [immigration authority] are obviously preying on the refugees stranding in limbo in their soil and the arrested and detained become as if a hostage according to reports received by The VOCR. 

Until now, regardless of his rescue from the detention hell, the community is worryingly waiting for the miraculous intervention of OPI team of UNHCR, which its administration is so many times biased.  

By Simon

Echoes From The Malaysia Detention Centers

 Kuala Lumpur (VOCR) 16 May, 2011: two of Chin refugees, who had been arbitrarily detained more than seven months in Immigration detention center and camp, along with Myanmar-Tamil national became a good cellmate for months, are released today from Lenggeng Immigration detention center by the UNHCR's OPI team. The recognised Chin refugee woman, who was separated with her partner just before she was arrested in Bukit Bintang by the immigration raids on 02 October, 2010, was reportedly brought up in the Kuala Lumpur court after having locked-up for 13 days in Bukit Jalil police station—sentencing the four-month imprisonment in Kajang Immigration detention camp. 

The woman requested for anonymity was detained for two months and half in Kajang Immigration detention camp and then she experienced another shift to Lenggeng Immigration detention center where another five-month confinement was punished, although the primary degree sentenced was due for only four months. 

While arrested, she reportedly claimed that she worked as a massager in Bukit Bintang reflexology therapy center. 

"The most difficult part of my ordeal in prison was, we were forced to stay laid in an extreme heating daylight, which is an obvious small scale of torture and being beaten up with the umbrella by the authority personnel—suggesting that that was only going on whenever an un-specified official from Myanmar embassy came to us and cruelly treating us like animal. The visit is purely designed to force us return back to Myanmar but we adamantly denied his forcibly request which is really unreasonable. Then, the authority started mistreating us very badly at once" said the released Chin refugee woman during an interview with The VOCR.  

Detainees in Lenggeng immigration detention center are lack of blanket provision when sleep at night time according to sources. 

She continued that the Myanmar-embassy official claimed himself as a Mon ethnic native but impossible to believe his inhumanely abusive talking. Consequently, most of the ethnic minority detainees are badly mistreated because of his monthly visit [immigration detention centers and camps]. For all of Myanmar detainees, the visit was feared as a hungry lion according to the Myanmar-Tamil, Khin May Than, released together with two of her Chin refugee cellmates. 

People released today was firstly met in January and again in March and finally released by the UNHCR's OPI team today. 

Sources from Rohinyas met with The VOCR say that there is an agency working as the in-between broker in cahoots with the OPI team of UNHCR, and asking the Myanmar detainees Rm-2800 (equivalent with US $ 950) for their release, adding that it was the Myanmar illegal migrants' favorite.  

It is learnt that several women of Chin refugees unregistered remain detained in Lenggeng Immigration detention center. It is believed that the OPI team will fairly conduct their mission of releasing those are in extreme need for help, esp, the remained in detention centers and camps across the region. 

By Simon

Chin Refugee Detainee Died in Detention Camp; Pregnant Woman Detained

Kuala Lumpur (VOCR)14 May, 2011: Mr. Thian Kil, not known from which Townships in Chin State, was reportedly dead from a long-suffering disease in Tana Merah Immigration camp—following a move from Lenggeng detention center Tana Merah camp last month because the fact that the prison was set on fire by dozens of non-ethnic migrant prisoners from Burma on 4 April, 2011.

At a time when the fire was set and going on, a group of more than 8 Chin refugees could manage to contact the community for advices on what to take steps forward but it appeared that they were best advised to stay in harmony and together and calm, and not to run away like the Burmese prisoners rioted. 

Despite the fact that Mr. Thian Kil was a holder of UNHCR's recognition card (registered in the beginning of 2010), he was detained in Lenggeng Immigration detention center for nearly a year. In that lengthy period, he was reported seriously sick to the authority but inhumanely denied medical access. Even worse, he was also prevented from meeting with OPI of UNHCR's team and ended up his whole life in prison until his last minute in Tana Merah hospital. While in Lenggeng Immigration detention center, he was given a punishment of three stokes of the cane upon the unknowable base but believed to be of illegal entry as most of the other charges relate to refugee caning is used to be of illegal entry into the country.  

Not very long since he was moved to Tana Merah Immigration camp, his long-deteriorating disease was soon found very critical in the camp, the authority brought him to the nearest private clinic but the doctor in the clinic referred them back to Tana Merah hospital, instead. It was not because of his status issue but rather be beyond the doctor's ability to treat him, cited one of the community leader from CRC. Then, he was reported dead there very soon.

Ever-mindful of what refugees have been running into this kind of situation for decade in this peninsula, several ethnic Chin refugees, who are on a hiding to nothing and being unable to return mother-soil in fear of reprisals from the Burmese junta government, dozens of Chin refugees have been dead in various detention centers due to lack of medical access and sanitation problems and disease spread by rat urines according to sources inside.

Until today, at least nine of Chin refugees still remain detained in Tana Merah, including some of the unregistered women. 

Thluai Zi, arrested on 21 December, 2010 in the immigration raid in Petaling Jaya, Selangor where she was living with her husband, who has been registered with the office of UNHCR, is still being detained in Lenggeng Immigration detention center—knowing that she has been of six-month pregnancy by now, although she herself didn't notice her pregnancy at the start. 

Both ACR and CRC have a systematic record of Chin refugee detainees, who are currently serving prison terms in detention centers and camps across the region.

By Simon