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