A Milestone Gathering: Malaysia Chin Christian Youths Conference

 

Kuala Lumpur (VOCR) 28 Oct: Amidst high security risks from recent public gatherings of anti-christian groups, the much-awaited annual conference of MCCF (Malaysia Chin Christian Youths) was successfully exercised Wednesday  in Zophei Christian Fellowship Center. The Center is being rented by Chinese Assembly of God, Jln Pudu, Kuala Lumpur.

It was the fourth year the conference has been held since its inception in 2008 with per annum election conducted at the end of one term. Remarkably, it was also the first event for Chin youths living in Malaysia—a landmark gathering from all parts of tribal-bound communities. This event serves to help ignite a united purpose among the Chin youth, in both language and politics. 

The attendees were recorded in the five hundreds in the two-story Chinese Church of Assembly of God. The whole day-long program was divided into two sections, morning and afternoon worship services that also, interestingly, included a quartet competition and debate in addition to their normal worship bulletin. The room was bursting with the noise of applause and laughter and clapping hands at the end of every performance.

A group performing on the stage. (Photo-VOCR)

Many tense issues were discussed, and ideas coming up during the debate signal that many Chin youths are eagerly recognizing CNF (Chin National Front), urging everyone to see CNF as our revolutionaries, as they are the ones who made Chins open their closed eyes regarding human rights issues.

Historically, there are forty-nine different dialects spoken in the Chin state and there has been no common language created to date. This is sole reason for our great division as a people. Chin leaders from all areas struggle to create and foster a common drive that could solve the great challenges facing our population. The diversity in our society is the leading instigator in the founding of this organization, with a purpose of fostering stronger relationships between us, so that the now-generation can create a mechanism with which to forward these interlinked objectives.

Chairman of MCCYF speaking to the devotees. (VOCR) 

Excerpts from an interview with MCCYF president, Johnny Thawng Lia;

VOCR: What is your (MCCYF) true purpose for 2011?

Johnny:  Mainly, our purpose for 2011 is set “Love Each Other” as in 1 John 4:7. In addition to that, helping each other shoulder to shoulder in terms of huge problems and great challenges facing the livelihood of our population during the indefinite wandering period in Malaysia is another aim we are trying to implement. But I am not sure how far we could go forward.

VOCR:  How would you organize this event—making such a huge gathering possible?

Johnny:  It is in fact a concerted effort that together with executive members and office barriers who are representative of their mother fellowship could make this event possible. Every decision we made in meeting was effectively passed on to their owned community and fellowship. On other hands, local media (published in Chin dialects among refugee society) also helped us in ways of making awareness for this conference.

VOCR:  For youths in Malaysia, what do you see that there needs to be done in each of their respective communities?

Johnny:  Regardless of this, there are a lot of things we could do for the good of our people. But first of all, MCCYF needs to be able to stand as an organization body so that we will be able to help the really needy ones, especially our fellows who are the true victims of drug addiction, alcoholism and going astray and leading them in the right path for their future—creating a rehabilitation center for them.

VOCR: To what degree can you engage in community activities or make significant changes?

Johnny:  Compared with past years, day after day, youths are more and more engaged in community activities, playing a vital role in the growth of our fellowship and community despite some challenges of skepticism and conservative elders. Nowadays, gender is no more problem but equally shared in any activities conducted by youths.

VOCR:  What is the significant thing you have accomplished during your tenure as MCCYF president?

Johnny:  To be honest, I remarkably made a training called “STEEL WORKER” and in it more than 50 representative leaders attended in this year. Without hiring anyone from outside, I myself run the training and in it issues of servant-hood, behavioral ethics, coping with culture-shock mostly occurred among youths are well addressed. On top of concerns, we should be aware of where we are in and needing to be watchful over the circumstances.

VOCR: What would you be your message left for youths after your terms?

Johnny:  MCCYF should be committed to making educational campaigns for our children and brothers and sisters who are hungry for higher education and doing effective awareness for drug addicts among our society. And, no matter what happens among us, we should be united and go hand in hand even though our dialects are different, and finally we will surely achieve what our fathers could not make it. Thus, it will be what we are supposed to be accomplished while we have life on earth and the will of God.

Reporting and interviewed by Simon

Refugees Fear Major Crackdown and Possible Deportation

Photo: VOCR

Kuala Lumpur (VOCR) 21 Oct: The planned detainees swap deal between Myanmar and Malaysia is vastly causing shockwave among the Burmese refugee communities. The oppressed ethnic minorities from the tyrannical and undemocratic Myanmar make up the largest number of refugees according to the figure of the Malaysia UNHCR office, in which out of the population Chins are apparently the highest numbers.  

The announcement came one day after the state-run newspaper The STAR announced Monday that there will be a major crackdown starting from the first week of next month, November in which it prompted that recognized and asylum seekers, to some extent, will surely be harmed, too.

According to the two Chin advocates communities, ACR (Alliance of Chin Refugee and) and CRC (Chin Refugee Committee), it is learnt that they have more than ten thousands asylum seekers who are still unregistered. Among them, dozens of people had been experiencing being forced to do immigration biometric registration, which is known as 6P programme, by their employees due to the possible fine would be punished against them by the authority before the start of major crackdown.  

Malaysia Home minister Hishammuddin Hussein announced this week after meeting with Myanmar deputy foreign minister U Maung Myint that there had been an agreement in principal regardless of the swap deal which is designed to send the unspecified number, maybe, nearly 1,000 Myanmar citizens held in 13 depots across the country and Myanmar military-dominated government in exchange will send Malaysian detainees back to the country. 

It is learnt that Myanmar refugees and asylum seekers will not be included in the swap deal implemented by the M’sia and Myanmar.

The move is believed to curb the overcrowding detainee population in the region.  

Soon after, several NGOs, Health Equity Initiatives (HEI), Lawyers for Liberty (LFL), Women’s Aid Organization (WAO), Tenaganita, SUARAM and Malaysian Social Research Institute (MSRI) lauded to the government that the exchange program should be halted immediately in light of a needing protection for refugees and asylum seekers according to their statement which reads “Concerns over immigration related developments that jeopardize the security of refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia”, adding that they also call on the government to rectify the errors in the 6P registration process of refugees/asylum seekers and fully cooperate with UNHCR to establish a framework for the recognition of the rights of refugees. 

In a meeting between a group of representatives from local NGOs and Alan Vernon a representative of Malaysia UNHCR office including several high rank officers, Mr. Alan Vernon mentioned that they have no idea how to work on the coming major crackdown but admitting that there will be a big problem for refugees.  

Upon 6P programme, it is worrying to learn that U Maung Myint, foreign deputy minister of Myanmar requested for an extension of the registration period of 6P programme on which his intention and purpose of urging Putrajaya government to go ahead with immigration biometric system is fully doubted for refugees and asylum seekers. The 6P programme comprises the six components; registration, legalization, amnesty, monitoring, enforcement and deportation.  

On point of refugees’ view, it is doubtful that thousands of recognised refugees would possibly be included in this subtle swap deal as it is common that recognized refugees have been detained and threatened to be deported back to the country in detention centers. 

It was such a great shame that Myanmar is planning to implement such perilous deal with Malaysia whilst the Naypyidaw government is intensively fighting in great force against the ethnic minorities that include Kachin, Shan and Karen, currently. 

Meanwhile, amidst Myanmar regime is working on this controversial deal, raping, forced labor, forcibly portering and extra-judicial killings are adamantly rampant in Kachin state as is a result of their kind of systematic ethnic cleansing program purportedly exercised against the ethnic minorities based on our race, ethnicity and religion.  

Reporting by Simon

Rising Concern in Refugee Communities over the Mysterious Murdering of Chin Refugees

Kuala Lumpur (VOCR) 15 Oct: There growing alarm over the alleged murdering of two of Chin refugees, prompting speculation that life in Malaysia for refugees is becoming increasingly unsafe and threatening the little existing hope they have. 

Just recently, Suan Khan Mung, 37, undocumented Chin refugee and a member of the Malaysia Zo Organization, was killed last month, on September 27, 2011.  His body was found in Serdang hospital the next day following a report made to Sungai Long police station. His case was referred to Kajang police station as the incident taken place was in the control of the Kajang police station.

He was found murdered in Balakong near his workplace. The reason for his murder is remained unknown and is undergoing further investigation. Four suspects were arrested for questioning in the case, three Chin refugees and one Burmese man, co-workers of Suan Khan Mung.  

During the telephone interview with leaders of MZO (Malaysia Zo Organization), it was reiterated that the assailants were believed to be members of a local gang, not Burmese refugees. 

His body was kept in custody for fifteen days in Serdang hospital, a one and a half hour drive from Kuala Lumpur. The funeral was then successfully conducted by the head of the MZO on October 13th, 2011. 

Likewise, Simon Lian Uk, only 18, from the Falam community was found stabbed to death while walking down in Jln Brunei street on his way home around 8:30p.m. near his residence in Jln Pudu. 

According to the eye- witness who requested to be anonymous, the victim encountered two strange guys, around 18 years old, at the corner of Jalan Brunei Utara Street. The witness stated that it seemed that the two guys were watching the victim and waiting to attack him. “I saw one of the guys punching him, and the victim did not react towards him at first, but the possible gang members continued punching him.  Finally, the victim fought back in self-defense.” The witness added that immediately after, another man standing beside them engaged in the attack and the victim attempted to run away. Not far away from the sight of the beating, the victim was found dead at the scene with multiple wounds.

Questioned regarding the background of the victim, David Nun Tho, coordinator of FRO (Falam Refugee Organization) revealed that he was a good young man and that he (David) had never known him to engage in the use of drugs or alcohol. He mentioned that the young man's interest in football match gambling may have caused him to be targeted for such an attack. 

Currently, his body is kept in custody for further examination and it is believed that his funeral service may occur this coming Monday if permission is issued by the authorities. 

Compared with past years, the number of deaths based on gang-related incidents is dramatically on the rise.

Written by Simon and editing by Natalie Reagan

Kachin Join Chin Refugees in Protest Against Newly-Elected Government

Kuala Lumpur (VOCR) 11^th Oct: Tensions were high this morning during a protest and demonstration at the Burmese Embassy in downtown Kuala Lumpur, the nation of Malaysia’s second largest and capital city. Over seven-hundred refugees in addition to supporting NGOs gathered to stand in solidarity against the current governments of Burma’s oppressions, human rights violations, and military occupation of the ethnic state territories.

During an interview with several leaders of the Kachin state, Kachin leader Zau Bawk stated that even though a cease-fire agreement was reached in 1994 between the Burmese military and the Kachin state, systematic killings, rape, torture, and enslavement of the Kachin have continued until this past June, when full out civil war erupted once again.  In the last four months, approximately 40,000 Kachin people have fled for their lives into the jungles of Burma, to escape murder, torture, slavery, and extortion.

The Kachin joined with the other ethnic states this morning to communicate their demands for peace, for freedom, and for democracy in their country. They are asking the current government of Burma to remove the military occupation of their territories so that together all the peoples of Burma may work to bring the nation into the modern world. They hope for the prospering of the rich natural resources with internal investments, as opposed to the foreign investments currently bringing environmental disaster, such as the Myitsone Dam Project. The ongoing foreign investments in Burma have contributed heavily to the blocking of western NGO’s and foreign aid, as well as an influx of money that inevitably ends up in the form of newer and better guns for the Burmese military.

The Kachin leaders fear for the lives of the Internally Displaced People (IDP’s) currently hiding in Burma. With the continuation of the Burmese military presence the situation grows more dire with every passing moment. The newly “elected” government, they say, has done nothing to improve the shocking and brutal treatment of all ethnic peoples by the military. As La Seng, a leader in the Kachin community said this morning, “We want a democratic government. Not just on paper, and not just in the media. We want real freedom, and truthful democracy.” The Kachin desire a leveling, so that education, religious freedom, and economic development will be available for all.

There are currently over 6,000 Kachin refugees seeking asylum in Malaysia, out of 40,000 overall; men, women, and children continuing  to endure the suffering of their people and living in a no-man’s land of uncertainty and heartache. 

 Reporting by Natalie Reagan