The raids against poor migrants and refugees are continuing in Malaysia

1According to area based refugee representatives, the situation in farer region like Peneng, Terangganu is unstable compare to KL.

1) In last September 28, 2010, two unregistered Rohingya refugee teens were arrested in Bukit Payong, Terengganu. They are aged about 16 and 18. They both were lifted to Ajil detention camp.

2) Another spot-raid on September 21, 2010, UNHCR card holder 5 Rohingya refugees were lifted by immigration raid in Sugai Besi-KL area. The raid of that day was already reported in Malay-mail newspaper but not covered these 5 refugees. The source available at:http://www.mmail.com.my/content/49937-apartment-guards-duty-nabbed-immigration-raid

3) On 19th Sept 2010, another two unregistered refugee teens were arrested from bus-station in Kotabaru but the father was escaped. His father said that they are comming to UNHCR office in KL for registration of his two sons. His father’s UNHCR File No. is 354-10C-01767.

4) Again on Aug 2010, UNHCR card holder Mr.Husein (UNHCR’s File No. 512-03C-02444), a 75 years old, Rohingya refugee was arrested in Penang and lifted to prison. Because he is a sick-man, he was released from prison after one month of detention.

Source:http://myanmarrefugees.blogspot.com/2010/10/raids-against-poor-migrants-and.html

Overseas Rohingya Groups Urged UN Refugee Agency to Register Rohingya Refugees in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan

For Immediate Release

Date: December 10, 2010

Rohingya Refugees in Malaysia and their Plight

On the occasion of International Human Rights Day 2010

Today, people in all over the world mark the 62^nd anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 10, 1948. We, the undersigned organizations express our firm deed towards full respect and implementation of all sorts of human rights norms as declared in the UDHR with a view to pursuing the accountability of the declaration.

It is undeniable that the people of Burma have been experiencing of gross human rights abuses in the hands of Burmese military ruler since 1962, while the Rohingya people’s experiences are much earlier than that year, even in the times of Parliamentary Democracy Period. These inhumanities forced the Rohingya people to be scattered in across the neighboring countries, particularly in Bangladesh, Thailand, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and etc.

Wherever, they reach, they are deprived of their basic human rights and human dignity as all these neighboring courtiers are not party the United Nations Refugee Instruments. These states of Rohingyas’ refuge are not bound to respect the rights of refugees and asylum seekers and thus install inhuman pressures over the Rohingya vulnerable.

Many quarters express very slight commitments towards temporary settlement of Rohingya refugees by believing Muslim in religion but do nothing except the development of modern salvation, which is not only promoted by the authorities but also by every local individuals.

We notices that the US officials and the international community have realized some facts of inhumanity, enforcing by the Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh but notably the issues of refugee rights violations in Malaysia, Pakistan and Thailand are kept uncovered.

Among the ASEAN nations, Malaysia is found as extra ordinary and parliamentary dictatorship which never considered the appeal of Rohingya refugees in Malaysia for advocating their causes to the international community to have permanent solution rather unreliable temporary local integration or the development of effective mechanism towards ethnic cleansing or religious tension in near future.

We also found that the Malaysia is one of the key states which support the Burmese military regime to keep in power under the current agenda of the improvement of nuclear in the regions in order to strengthen ASEAN regional atomic command.

Therefore, we appeal to the international community to urgently install pressure on Burmese military regime for people elected democracy in conjunction with cheerful pressure on Muslim states, particularly Malaysia, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to stop slavery ambition over the Rohingya refugees and to ensure their basic human rights and human dignity within a time frame.

We appeal the UN Refugee Agency to immediately take step to open refugee registration and refugee status determination process in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and other Muslim countries to extend international protection for the Rohingya Refugees.

We also appeal the UNHCR to take necessary measure to refer the cases of the Rohingya refugees to the refugee resettlement countries with special provision, particularly from Malaysia.

We appeal the refugee resettlement countries to make spaces for the Rohingya refugees who are being marginalized by the concerned quarters for past few decades.

Signed by:

1-Arakan Rohingya Refugee Committee (ARRC), Malaysia

2-Arakan Rohingya Organization-Japan (JARO)

3-Arakan Rohingya Ulama Council (ARUC), Malaysia

4-Burmese Rohingya Association in UAE (BRA-UAE)

5-Canadian Burmese Rohingya Organization (CBRO), Canada

6-Human Rights Association for Rohingya (HURAR), Arakan –Burma

7-Myanmar Muslim Council (MMC), KSA

8-National Council for Rohingya (NCR), Malaysia

9-National Democratic Party for Human Rights (NDPHR-exile) USA (HQ)

10-Rohingya Youth Development Forum (RYDF) Arakan-Burma

11-World Rohingya Congress (WRC), USA

For further information, please contact:

1- Mohammad Sadek (Tel: 60 16-3094599)

2- Kyaw Soe Aung (Tel: 414-7364273)

Overseas Rohingya Groups Urged UN Refugee Agency to Register Rohingya Refugees in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan as Refugees

For Immediate Release

Date: December 10, 2010

Rohingya Refugees in Malaysia and their Plight On the occasion of International Human Rights Day 2010

Today, people in all over the world mark the 62^nd anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 10, 1948. We, the undersigned organizations express our firm deed towards full respect and implementation of all sorts of human rights norms as declared in the UDHR with a view to pursuing the accountability of the declaration.

It is undeniable that the people of Burma have been experiencing of gross human rights abuses in the hands of Burmese military ruler since 1962, while the Rohingya people’s experiences are much earlier than that year, even in the times of Parliamentary Democracy Period. These inhumanities forced the Rohingya people to be scattered in across the neighboring countries, particularly in Bangladesh, Thailand, India, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and etc.

Wherever, they reach, they are deprived of their basic human rights and human dignity as all these neighboring courtiers are not party the United Nations Refugee Instruments. These states of Rohingyas’ refuge are not bound to respect the rights of refugees and asylum seekers and thus install inhuman pressures over the Rohingya vulnerable.

Many quarters express very slight commitments towards temporary settlement of Rohingya refugees by believing Muslim in religion but do nothing except the development of modern salvation, which is not only promoted by the authorities but also by every local individuals.

We notices that the US officials and the international community have realized some facts of inhumanity, enforcing by the Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh but notably the issues of refugee rights violations in Malaysia, Pakistan and Thailand are kept uncovered.

Among the ASEAN nations, Malaysia is found as extra ordinary and parliamentary dictatorship which never considered the appeal of Rohingya refugees in Malaysia for advocating their causes to the international community to have permanent solution rather unreliable temporary local integration or the development of effective mechanism towards ethnic cleansing or religious tension in near future.

We also found that the Malaysia is one of the key states which support the Burmese military regime to keep in power under the current agenda of the improvement of nuclear in the regions in order to strengthen ASEAN regional atomic command.

Therefore, we appeal to the international community to urgently install pressure on Burmese military regime for people elected democracy in conjunction with cheerful pressure on Muslim states, particularly Malaysia, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan to stop slavery ambition over the Rohingya refugees and to ensure their basic human rights and human dignity within a time frame.

We appeal the UN Refugee Agency to immediately take step to open refugee registration and refugee status determination process in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and other Muslim countries to extend international protection for the Rohingya Refugees.

We also appeal the UNHCR to take necessary measure to refer the cases of the Rohingya refugees to the refugee resettlement countries with special provision, particularly from Malaysia.

We appeal the refugee resettlement countries to make spaces for the Rohingya refugees who are being marginalized by the concerned quarters for past few decades.

Signed by:

1-Arakan Rohingya Refugee Committee (ARRC), Malaysia

2-Arakan Rohingya Organization-Japan (JARO)

3-Arakan Rohingya Ulama Council (ARUC), Malaysia

4-Burmese Rohingya Association in UAE (BRA-UAE)

5-Canadian Burmese Rohingya Organization (CBRO), Canada

6-Human Rights Association for Rohingya (HURAR), Arakan –Burma

7-Myanmar Muslim Council (MMC), KSA

8-National Council for Rohingya (NCR), Malaysia

9-National Democratic Party for Human Rights (NDPHR-exile) USA (HQ)

10-Rohingya Youth Development Forum (RYDF) Arakan-Burma

11-World Rohingya Congress (WRC), USA

For further information, please contact:

1- Mohammad Sadek (Tel: 60 16-3094599)

2- Kyaw Soe Aung (Tel: 414-7364273)

Bangladesh on right track to achieve MDGs, says Danish PM

NEW YORK, Sept 24 (UNB): Denmark 's Prime Minister (PM) Lars Lokke Rasmussen Thursday said that Bangladesh was on the right track for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) within 2015, the deadline set by the United Nations.

The Danish PM made the appreciation during a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the sidelines of the 65th session of the UN General Assembly.

" Bangladesh is on the right track," he said and assured that Denmark would increase its support and financial assistance for Bangladesh to achieve MDGs.

Rasmussen expressed his willingness to move on to "business partner" from "development partner" in view of Bangladesh 's rapid development in trade and economic sectors.

The PM had also bilateral meetings with her counterparts and senior government leaders of the Netherlands, Malaysia and Myanmar Thursday.

All the heads of governments and government leaders congratulated Hasina on Bangladesh 's MDGs achievements under her leadership.

Climate change figured prominently during the bilateral talks while the Danish PM agreed with Sheikh Hasina that the last COP 15 climate conference held in Copenhagen could not produce the expected results.

Both the PMs observed that the developed nations did little in fulfilling whatever commitments they made on the critical issue of the climate change though one year had already passed since the Copenhagen summit.

Hasina said that Bangladesh had taken a "stand alone" policy caring little about the external adaptation fund as it created its own "Adaptation Fund" to negate the onslaughts of the climatic phenomenon while it welcomed developed nations contribution to the fund.

"But the fact remains that we need resources to negate the impacts of the climate change," the PM said.

During the meeting with Netherlands PM Dr Jan Peter Balkenende, Hasina sought the Dutch supports for dredging of major rivers in Bangladesh to stop excess flooding and face adverse impacts of the Himalayan glacier melting caused by global warming.

She also sought the Dutch assistance for land reclamation in river banks and coastlines through sharing experience and expertise and to halt the river erosion.

Myanmar Foreign Minister Nyan Win called on Sheikh Hasina when she categorically stated that the Myanmar government "in the spirit of good neighbourly relations" should take back the remaining Rohingya refugees who were already cleared by them for repatriation.

The PM noted that Dhaka-Yangon ties took a "new trajectory" since her government took the office more than one and a half years ago and expected that the bilateral ties would be enhanced in the future with increased connectivity and particularly through construction of the proposed tri-nation road links involving Bangladesh, Myanmar and China.

Source: http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=112804&date=2010-09-25

Crackdown against illegal Myanmar immigrants launched

Aizawl/Agartala, Sep 19 (IANS) The Mizoram government has launched a crackdown against Myanmar nationals living in the state without documents, officials said Sunday.

'The Mizoram Armed Police in the past two days have apprehended 52 Myanmarese from Aizawl and outskirts where (they) have set up colonies,' a police spokesman said.

The official said the illegal entrants would be pushed back soon to Myanmar.

The number of Myanmarese living in different parts of Mizoram has now been estimated at around 50,000.

The Mizoram government with the permission of the union home ministry has given entry passes and temporary stay permits to Myanmarese, who work in jewellery shops, vehicular service centres, shops, restaurants and cloth factories and at construction works.

'However, a large number of Myanmar citizens illegally took entry into the state and have been staying in Mizoram,' the police official said.

Aizawl Superintendent of Police Lalbiakthanga Khiangte said the home ministry recently told the Mizoram government that the Myanmar-Mizo nationals without valid entry permits could cross the Indo-Myanmar border and travel a maximum of 16 km into northeastern state for trading.

Khiangte said the police crackdown was launched as some immigrants recently indulged in crime, including drugs related deeds.

Meanwhile, the Tripura Police have also apprehended seven Myanmarese, including four women, in Agartala after they sneaked in from Bangladesh.

'They entered the Indian territory through Sonamura border in western Tripura,' a police official said.

'During preliminary questioning, the Myanmarese told police that they tried to go to other parts of India through Tripura and Assam to find jobs,' the official said.

'Rohingya Muslims have been fleeing their country to escape atrocities by members of the rival community in Myanmar,' said one of the arrested men, Tayub.

He told the police: 'We are not allowed to travel from one village to another without permission from the army. We are not even allowed to marry without the permission of the authorities.'

Since mid-1990s, over 225,000 Myanmarese have taken shelter in the Cox's Bazar district of Bangladesh. They are believed to have taken shelter in Bangladesh to escape religious oppression by the Myanmar government.

India's four northeastern states of Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh together share a 1,643 km unfenced border with Myanmar.

Source: http://sify.com/news/crackdown-against-illegal-myanmar-immigrants-launched-news-national-kjtqkeajjhj.html

Strangers by sea: A tale of Canada’s boat people

Check out this Globe and Mail article "Strangers by sea: A tale of Canada’s boat people " at http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/strangers-by-sea-a-tale-of-canadas-boat-people/article1672734/?service=email.

This message was sent from the IP address '10.220.2.44'.

Myanmar nationals arrested in Tripura

India Blooms News Service
Agartala, Aug 1 (IBNS): Police arrested two Myanmar nationals- Rohingya Muslims- Sunday from a hotel in Agartala in Tripura.

Both Rohingya Muslims from Mongolo area of Myanmar had entered through Teknaf of Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh and then crossed into Tripura by the Sonamura border.

The arrested identified as Mohammad Tayub (29) and Saho Alam (20) informed police that they had crossed the border from Bangladesh and intended to go to Delhi before reaching to Jammu in search of work.

“From here we were to go to Jammu. But first we would have gone to Delhi and from there to Jammu for working there with a cousin of mine.

We cross through Teknaf (Mayanmar-Bangladesh border) and from there we have two roads, one through Manipur but it is long and difficult. So we prefer this (through Tripura) as it is easier this way,” said Mohammed Tayub, one of the arrested.

He said the minority Muslim Rohingya’s are fleeing to avoid the atrocities by the majority Buddhist in army controlled Myanmar.

The Rohingya's are denied even the most basic rights and are not considered citizens of that nation. They are not allowed to travelfrom one village to another within the state without permission. They are denied government every after having required qualifications and even they are not allowed to marry without the permission of the authority.

Both were produced before the court in the afternoon.

There are an estimated 2 million Rohingya; slightly less than half still live in northern Rakhine state. Several hundred thousand more were driven out by the military in two separate purges — one in the late 1970s and another in the early 1990s.

Some now work in the Middle East while others remain in camps in neighbouring Bangladesh. Many have even crossed into India.

At present more than one lakh exiled Myanmar’s population have taken refuge in India, fighting for the restoration of democracy in their country.

Myanmar's government which consists of mainly the Buddhist community says that the Rohingya people belong to Bangladesh.

Many Rohingya were brought to Myanmar from South Asia by the British while the entire region was part of colonial India. Rohingya's claim that have been living in Myanmar for almost 200 years.

Source: http://www.indiablooms.com/NewsDetailsPage/newsDetails010810j.php