Chin Asylum-Seeker Murdered at the Hands of Burmese National

Source: googlemap

Cameroon Highlands (VOCR) 18 Nov: An asylum seeker of the Chin State named Geik Law Kha was severely beaten up in a fight that occurred at last Wednesday’s night in Batu 49 camp, where hundreds of Chin refugees live. Geik Law Kha was beaten by a Burmese migrant worker with a passport, known as Tin Lin, and proclaimed dead yesterday morning in Ipoh general hospital, in the Perak state. 

It was learned that he was a holder of an ACR card (means a member of Alliance of Chin Refugee) and from Mindat Township, Chin state.

The cause of the incident that took place last night remains a mystery.

The murderer was arrested after a search effort lasting the whole night, said Billy Tong Hmung, coordinator of Chin Highland Community recently set up with the support of Social Protect Funds (SPF) which is under the UNHCR office.

In an interview with the VOCR, the community leader added that Tin Lin, the murderer, is currently under an intensive investigation of authorities in the Cameroon Highlands police force. The case is being kept confidential and has yet to be revealed to us. However, it was believed that Tin Lin could be incarcerated for up to 10 years in depots.

Recently, the community in Cameroon Highlands is highly concerned that there might possibly bring about the retaliation fight from our fellow Chins, said one of the community leaders.

Asked how many Burmese migrant workers work in the area, CHC's leaders estimate that there are around 30.

For the record, more than 1,500 Chins, both recognized refugees and asylum seekers, are living in Cameroon Highlands, seen as the sole producer of vegetables and fruits for the mainland, Malaysia and Singapore. Most of the people work in vegetable farms and are paid less than RM-25 a day, which is only equivalent to $8.

To date, refugees and asylum seekers working in Cameroon Highlands have been hiding in the jungle every night, for fear of the unceasing raids monitored by the authorities.

Apparently, this is not an uncommon situation facing Chin refugees and asylum seekers. Murder at the hands of Burmese nationals occurs with alarming frequency. In Malaysia, since 2005, the figure of Chins murdered at the hands of Burmese migrant workers is believed to total at more than a dozen in number, according to one community leader in Kuala Lumpur.

Reporting by Simon