Escaped but Cruelly Tortured

By Simon

The two victims in an interview (Photo- VOCR)

Kuala Lumpur (VOCR) 15 Sept: Every single of refugee has to unceasingly struggle for their survivals as there is no provision and need to look for jobs in search of a better life. But for some, that search will end in tragedy as they fall victim to organised crime gangs.  

Two of recognised Chin refugees was kidnapped last week by a special organised gang group in Kota Raya, which is a well-known location centre for commuters in Kuala Lumpur and so many times it is likely impossible to avoid crossing that area, as they were on their way to get to Seremban bound bus station for work, another city located in Negeri Sembilan State, eastern part of Kuala Lumpur. 

The victims, Tawk Iang, 31 and Men Doi, 26, both of them from Khampat, Tamu Tsp, Sagaing Division, Burma, were wandering for a while in the area of Kota Raya; they didn't know how to get to the terminal for Seremban. On the brink of eyes' wink, one man approaching them and acting as if he also looked for the same terminal, said Tawk Iang, who can speak little of the Malay language, adding that he would get a taxi for us and sent us to the station and at the very moment the taxi came. They thought he was a good man for them. 

However, the taxi driver turned around and got back to where they met and the man, who arranged taxi for the victims, suddenly got in the taxi and carried off them to the alleged gang center where they saw dozens of other gang members drinking alcohol and playing cards. 

Both of the victims told The VOCR that one of the leaders came to them and started asking of the telephone numbers they know in purposes of asking hostage money in exchange of our freedom. Despite our response of no knowledge on their demand, they finally found out a piece of paper written our friends' numbers in the bottom of my friend's [Men Doi] bag, which caused their attack against us doubly worse. 

We were forced to kneel down and contacting the numbers we know and inhumanely beating us with weapons, believed to be equipments from the car and a thick wood stick, while having conversation with our friends on the phone in order to make our friends hear our sufferings. From time to time, they changed the price demanded, RM-1,000 to 5,000 for our release.

Slapping, kicking and beating with weapons involved in a kind of the alleged gang's torture.  

Incapable of hearing convincible messages from our friends and relatives, the two victims were prepared to be brought down to other locations. Threatened with violence if failed to pay the ransom money for our freedom, the victims decided to run risks—getting out of taxi even though the taxi was firmly locked.  

It was an epic of heroic action that the concerted effort made them able to escape from the hands of the gangs as there was intense fight in taxi between the victims and the taxi driver and the guard seated at the front—knowing they would get hit back if they made a move to get out of taxi. Eventually, their fight was amazingly successful that they could jump out, although the taxi was on the high speed in the highway having no fear of loosing their property, RM-60 and two of their bags rather than to die in the hands of gangs.

Nobody gave a hand in the highway in their 15-minute long asking for help. And they continued to run and finally found the restaurant and receiving a help from one man—arranging taxi to the police station for making a report. 

The police station in Wangsa Maju referred them to the GHKL, General Hospital Kuala Lumpur for dressing and medical treatment and further investigation would be acted in Pudu police station as the incident occurred under the control of  the district area of Pudu police station.

It was learnt that they were helped to get a new UNHCR card with the help of CRC amid new policy in UNHCR has been effectively exercised not to issue new card for those who lost the card, and receiving an enormous support from CRC and their relative members. The advocate Chin refugee community is ready to bring them to clinic or hospital if the victims are in need for farther medical access as the fact that psychological assessment could successfully lead the hard-hit victims to cope with their dire experience after the post-aftermath. 

Chin Refugees Attacked, Their Tent Set Fire

PERAK (VOCR) 10 Sept: In a very early morning at 5:00 a.m on last Monday, a group of Chin refugees, while still having sunk into a sound sleep, were badly assaulted and robbed off their properties in gang attack which was a first kind of the horrific experience encountered in Malaysia at the plantation firm where they are working located in Kampah, Perak State, which is 41/2 hrs drive from Kuala Lumpur. 

Among a group of six, two are learnt as community card holders, Zo Hlei Thang, from Mizo community (who was done recently with medical treatment in Perak hospital because of cobra's bite) and Bawi Thang from Matupi. The rest of their fellow had been proved refugee status means UNHCR card holders (Ling Bu, Niang Khang, Ling Ling and Bawi Nai).

"At first glance, when a thug of gangs knocked the door, we were in full fear that we would be arrested—thinking them as the authority. But eventually they all were with weapons—each of them had hoe and broke into the door and immediately beating one of our men, Naing Khaing and all of us were cruelly forced to sit down and give all of ours to their hands. However, most of us could escape to run away to the jungle whilst Niang Khaing was being beaten up and robbing off whole of our money [RM-250} and a hand phone" quoted one of the victims as saying to The VOCR.

 

Two of the victims taking a hide in jungle ringed their employer, A Fung who is a Chinese, known by his alias name for help. Though their employer, A Fung, was hurry helping his employees being under attack, it was but to no avail. Even worse, their tent and farm tractor and their employer's vehicle were burnt down and set fire everything, leaving everything in the farm emptied. 

The alleged offenders are described as dark skinned, communicating each other in Tamil and believed to be the local gangs, said A Fung, the employer in an interview on the phone, adding that prior to the incident, they offended a series of attacks against farm workers in the areas and the assault in my farm was the fifth times in a week. 

A Fung lodged a police report and the case is under way for investigation.

Asked if their employer's treatment condition, the victims state A Fung as a very good person and kind on refugees. 

Lian Te, one of Matu community leaders and who is also very familiar with A Fung, is taking care of two of the panicked victims for medical treatment in K.L as some of their fellows are requested to remain stayed in the farm by the police to help them facilitate their investigation.

Reporting by Lian Te and written by Simon

Chin Refugee Beaten up To Death

 By Simon

Photo - VOCR

Kuala Lumpur (VOCR) 06 Sept: There are fears skyrocketing among the refugee community that the recognised Chin refugee, Za Thio, 37, was beaten up to death last Sunday night while a time the victim together with his younger brother was sending off the much-younger friend, Van Hmun Tha, 19 to the stone's throw away bus stop at Ampatplas Puchung, western suburban area of Kuala Lumpur. 

At the first hint of problem, while awaiting the bus coming, Mr. Za Thio and Van Hmun Tha went out peeing off at a dark place just before the bus came in which they had been immediately attacked and hit by a thug of gangs—appearing to be from the nearby area. Van Hmun Tha was known first hit and fell down unconscious because of his head hitting the car as being thrown away.

"When I recovered back from my falldown unconscious, I heard that a thug of gangs, identified them as Indian-Malay, talking under the sun around me and fearing that I would be killed, I quickly got up and run away to escaping from the hands of the gangsters" said the alive victim.

Both of the victims are from the same village, Hriangkhan, Thantlang Tsp, Chin State, Myanmar.

The family was worried over his unusually long disappearance until over the midnight from sending friend off to the bus stop with the absence of giving a reminder; giving a call and leaving a message--reason of being unable to return home. The next early morning, the wife, Par Cia, left with three children, came to inform their village elders concerning her husband loss but learning very soon that his body had been taken dead to Serdang hospital by the police.

According to the note from doctor in Serdang hospital, he was robustly beaten up with something material [weapon used] as his fore-head and back-head was holed up inside as a result of an extreme beating.

The advocate community leader from OPI department in CRC was told that Mr.Za Thio was highly drunk before the incident taken place by a team of police who were undertaking the case and adding that his body was picked up in the ditch very close to the bus stop and sent it to Serdang hospital for furthering post-mortem checkup in the very early morning of yesterday. 

However, the fully-traumatized victim, Van Hmun Tha told The VOCR that he guessed the group who beat my friend to death would be the same group who beat me unconscious and they all are black and seemed a thug of gangs—Malay-born Indian. He admitted that he truly did not know the exact identity of them.

Many of Chins in the said vicinity claimed that Van Hmun Tha is a very bad guy and irresponsibly drunk all the time despite his age so much young and causing the uneasy troubles between the locals and Myanmar refugees stranding in that areas. 

For a lesson to be learning for the whole community of Chin refugees in Malaysia, one valuable life was scarified to death because of one rotten rubbish.

The funeral service was conducted today in Imbi and buried in Puchung cemetery with the lead of Chin Christian leaders.