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