The second memo at UNHCR-Malaysia by All Burma Democratic Forces

By NDPHR(exile),

The  assembly of about 300 of Burmese refugees led by ABDF to submit second memo at UNHCR-Malaysia was started at 10:am and allowed to hold 10 minutes. The memo was read by 3 representatives of ABDF namely, Mr. Habib, Mr.Aung Kyaw Moe, and Mr.Zaw Min, and received by Mr.Ibrahim Amin, Head of security of UNHCR-Malysia.  

 

"They had also point out that Malaysian authority has known our condition and situation here thus we are allowed to hold continuously to urge our rights from our concern quarter, as how long Malaysia can allow by hosting illegals. This is being more as Malysia has not signed in Refugees Convetions and refugees concerns to UNHCR only/" Leader of the group said..  

The memo is as follow;

Date: January 21, 2009

A MEMORANDUM TO THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES (UNHCR)

We at the All Burma Democratic Force (ABDF) based in Malaysia is very much concerned over the ongoing situation of Burmese refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia .

We are full confident that the office of UNHCR is seriously involved in gross human rights abuses and thus play a role of dictatorship, even hatch conspiracy against its persons of concern or refugees and asylum seekers, using its collaborators from refugee communities with a hope of extra benefits and resettlement in third countries.

Regarding these, since March 2007, the All Burma Democratic Force (ABDF) has been trying utmost to reveal the truth and to bring a better atmosphere at UNHCR office to treat all refugees as equal regardless of race, religion and etc. But, the office ignored the calls with a manner of supreme dictator in order to continue its inhumanity, abuses and to hide reality.

Besides, marginalized refugee group “ROHINGYA” who are the worst victims of human rights violation both in home and exile have been struggling to find permanent solution. Based on this, hundreds of Rohingya Burmese refugees held a peaceful assembly on December 3, 2008 but the UNHCR reportedly spent about 100,000 Malaysian Currency to disperse poor refugees and to make voiceless as well.

The agency is also trying enough to convoke ethnic tension and internal conflicts among the refugee communities, conducting baseless meetings and wasting times and energy to bring gaps and misunderstanding.

Despite, implementation of UNHCR mandate to find long-lasting solution, UNHCR in Malaysia pays negligence attention towards Burmese democratic forces to have talks and to work together for the welfare of refugees, while creating effective networks with Burmese military for continuous outflow of refugees in order to sustain their jobs.

Besides, there is no law for their protection of refugees in Malaysia and thus the government clearly declared that “we will not accept political asylum” “Malaysia will not change its refugee policy as it is not signatory to the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights Convention as well as 1951 convention for the Status of Refugees and its additional protocol of 1967”.

Following these, Burmese people in Malaysia are caught between two hard rocks as there is no hope for their return to home and unable to stay in safe and dignity in country of their asylum. Therefore, they are going to urge upon their concerned quarters, particularly the UN Refugee Agency to ensure their rights to be protected from unexpected prosecution.

Therefore, the ABDF express its firm stand to fight against all kinds of dictatorship, racism, nepotism, and ill-treatment and human rights abuses against humanity in order to bring justice in UNHCR office, which must take all kinds of accountabilities.

In these regards, we urge upon the UNHCR:-

1.      To  review unconditionally the policy of UNHCR towards all Burmese refugees regardless of race, religion, sex, color and etc to treat them equally in all circumstances, particularly in time of registration, protection intervention, stipend and referral for resettlement in third countries, while priority must be given to those marginalized Rohingya group whose referral are totally not made yet;

2.      To respect human rights of refugees, stopping all kinds of human rights abuses including discrimination, threats and underestimation through the empowerment of security guards, interpreters and local staffs;

3.      To regularize registration for all undocumented refugees in open gate system and to stop mobile registration policy in order to bring justice for every asylum seekers that accorded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR);

4.      To improve respect and implementation of basic human rights for all refugees, providing foods, shelter, clothes, medication, protection, financial assistance and education as soon as possible as they are very vulnerable and desperate, which should be continued till their resettlement in a third country, particularly for the Rohingya refugees who are barred from all kinds of assistances that is only because of their religious beliefs and UNHCR failure to recommend their vulnerable plights;

5.      To put an end to unethical, inaccurate and undue representation by the various quarters and eliminate improper sources providing, illogical exampling, undocumented responding and telephone threat to refugees, while eradicating the doubtful under table payments for UNHCR facilities;

6.      To  take immediate steps to cause and effect release of all Burmese detainees from detention centers as they are unconditional refugees who have left their country of origin with genuine reason and been undergoing to victimization such as being sold to human traffickers, smugglers, modern slavery in fishing boats, plantations and other sectors;

7.      To  bring animmediate end of UNHCR assistances towards Burmese military regime and its collaborators through registering, protecting and resettling them to third countries under so-called prioritization for ethnic communities as many groups are playing double standard roles both in home and exile.

Action Committee for Peaceful Assembly

All Burma Democratic Force (ABDF)

Union of Burma

C.c:

1.                  United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Headquarters, Geneva

2.         Royal Malaysian Government

3.         United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Regional office, Bangkok

4.         Concerned Diplomatic Missions in Malaysia

5.         Malaysian Bar Council

6.         Local and International Non-Government Organizations

Rohingya's Letter to U.S. President Obama

By NDPHR(exile), 

The written words in the letterareas follow;-

To 

Obama
President
United States of America 

Respectfully,


We, on behalf of Rohingya Burmese people, would like to thanks Americans showed on presidential election, which is cleared that the American people have no discrimination with ranks or race. This is why Obama was elected as president. Thanks and hope again for American leading world’s leader in refugee resettlement.

But, for the consequence of 9/11 post, some restriction was adopted in resettlement quota for security reasons. Again in FY 2004, refugee Admission program, Mr. Ken Baccon had repeated President Bush’s performance that unfortunate and unfair refugees must be understood in the context of September 11. It means those refugee groups are believed to be material support groups to.

While resettlement to signatory country is being an important safety net for Burmese Rohingya refugees, other signatory countries also reluctant to share humanity through this obligation. It is because of restriction at the world’s leader in resettlement country.

However, secretary of state Colin Powell had called for commitment of compassion, tolerance, humanity. Thus, some of non-Muslim refugee groups had been reflected by the will of changing restriction. Whereas, we Rohingya refugee are being isolated and marginalized from our obligation. We are not getting benefits from decades based refugee conventions.

Moreover, in coincide of playing double standard roles by Muslim refugee names were putting the ‘bin’ word, while UNHCR is acting as a main actor for refugees.

Therefore, once Obama was elected and acting as a world leader as well. So, we hope that there would adopt a legal resolution on emotional restriction. It would be mostly appreciated in sharing humanity.

Thankfully,
On behalf of Rohingya refugees around the world
Arakan Rohingya Refugee Committee (ARRC), Malaysia

Burmese People In Malaysia Demonstrated for 300 Burmese Boat People Fared Death

By NDPHR(exile),

Today,  All Burma Democratic Forces-ABDF based in Malaysia submitted two separate memorandums at the Embassy of Royal Thai at 10:20am and High Commission of government of Bangladesh at 11:00.

Reading memo All Burma Democratic Forces (ABDF), in KL, Malaysia

The group expressed their serious concern over Thai authority’s systematic tortures and placing in detention for about four weeks of intercepted about 300 Burmese boat-people refugees and towing secretly into international waters without foods and waters after taking out of the engines. 

Before towing into international water by Thai-forces


They also expressed about Bangladeshi government’s forceful repatriation since 1992.

Are They Not Human Beings

 (you can guess how Thai-forces treat behind this)

How They Treat, during apprehended by Thai-forces

The memo is as follow;

1. A MEMORANDUM TO THE ROYAL THAI GOVERNMENT 

On behalf of all Burmese people, we at the All Burma Democratic Force (ABDF, an umbrella organization of different political, ethnic, socio-cultural and religious organizations of Burma based in Malaysia express our sincere condolence for the departed souls in Andaman sea of India and Bay of Bengal in the recent month.

We strongly condemn the Government of Royal Thailand for its brutal behaviors toward the victims of gross human rights abuses in Burma.

 The boat people who arrived to the Thai coast were the ethnic Burmese Rohingyas. They left country to escape persecution and to find safe place for them through the danger of Bay.
After long journey, they found a hope in Thai coast but unfortunately, they got inhuman treatment that resulted to fear dead. The Thai authorities have been installing pressures over the Burmese people for long period and giving strong supports towards military regime in order to enjoy the benefits of Burmese natural resources, particularly from the Gas pipeline of Yadana and Yedagon of Mon State.

It is also instigating the regime to improve more powerful tools towards ethnic cleansing against Burmese ethnic minorities, especially, the Rohingyas of Arakan State, Shan, Karen, Kerenni of their respective states.
In April, 2008, the ousted Prime Minister of Thailand Samak Sundaravej had taken step against ethnic Rohingya refugees in Thailand that to put them in an isolated Island in the International Water without any reasonable ground.

Despite advocating the plights of Rohingya, the Thai Government is moving against humanity and thus thousands of Rohingya missed in the Bay of Bengal in various ways in the year 2007 and 2008 respectively.
Recently, in late December 2008, 427 Rohingya were forcefully sent back to International water by Thai authorities that went against humanity and thus 325 were feared dead, while 102 were luckily rescued by Indian Coast Guards.

Before this fate, these people were detained for about 4 weeks in Thailand by Thai forces. Then the Thai authorities put them on 6 different motorized boats and taken to international water. During this time, some sought sympathetic assistance not to send backs them in uncertain water. In spite helping them, the authority put 15 people into Gunny Bags and threw into the water; and the rest people were left in the international water, taking out the engines of boats. Two of the boats were exploded in the water firing rocket launchers. These kinds of inhumanities of Thai authorities are very much shocked to us.

The Thai Government also shot dead 11 Burmese nationals from Rajburi Hospital in the year 2000, while 54 Burmese people had to suffocate in Thai container truck in April 2008 as well.

Similarly, the brutalities of Thai authorities are not sacrifice able for the people of Burma and the Government always gives threat to Burmese democratic forces based in Thailand and thus they have to move from one place to another.
In these regards, we urge upon the Government of Royal Thailand:
1.To immediately cease inhuman pogrom against boat people and all other Burmese people in Thailand;
2.To immediately review the policy towards humanity to extend humanitarian assistances to Burmese vulnerable people, particularly the Rohingya boat people;
3.We demand to give official clarifications about the current kills that has done by the current Thai authorities in the International Water;
4.We also demand to boycott support to Burmese military regime for the causes of immediate democratic changes in Burma and to extend assistances towards Burmese democratic forces;
5.We encourage for hosting international agencies to help boat people and to screen their cases in order to extend international protection
.. ………………..

2. A MEMORANDUM TO THE GOVERNMENT OF BANGLADESH 

On behalf of all Burmese people, we at the All Burma Democratic Force (ABDF, an umbrella organization of different political, ethnic, socio-cultural and religious organizations of Burma based in Malaysia express our sincere condolence for the departed souls in Andaman sea of India and Bay of Bengal in the recent month.

We feel shock on the misbehaviors of Bangladeshi Government towards the persecuted Rohingya Burmese people and thus strongly oppose the ongoing initiative of Bangladesh with Burmese military regime.
The state of Rohingya’s settlement fall in western border of Burma and that adjacent to Bangladesh which is a member state of Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and thus the Rohingya flee to neighboring Bangladesh to escape brutal persecution of Burmese military.

Unfortunately, the persecuted Rohingya’s fate went against their expectation. So, they would face consecutive harassment there as the Government ignores its Islamic obligation and installs mistreatment over vulnerable people. That’s why they choose secondary movement to other countries to find a safe life for them through out the Bay of Bengal.

On their way to unexpected destination, many lost their lives in the Bay and some managed to reach at the coast of Thailand. Bangladesh Naval and Coast Guards are reluctant to watch in to the Bay of Bengal which resulted to loss thousands of Rohingya in the Bay in the year 2007 and 2008. For all these, the Bangladeshi Government is responsible at all.

Recently, in late December 2008, 427 Rohingya were forcefully sent back to International water by Thai authorities that went against humanity and thus 325 were feared dead, while 102 were luckily rescued by Indian Coast Guards.

Before this fate, these people were detained for about 4 weeks in Thailand by Thai forces. Then the Thai authorities put them on 6 different motorized boats and taken to international water. During this time, some sought sympathetic assistance not to send backs them in uncertain water. In spite helping them, the authority put 15 people into Gunny Bags and threw into the water; and the rest people were left in the international water, taking out the engines of boats. Two of the boats were exploded in the water firing rocket launchers. These kinds of inhumanities of Thai authorities are very much shocked to us and thus preparing the event to draw international attention.

Despite these, the Government of Bangladesh is pretending to unknown matter as it is inking economic deals with Burmese regime for its own interest and ignoring the causes of humanity. Bangladesh is reluctant to watch in the Bay and thus Rohingya are dared to dive in the water in the name of Allah’s Mercy. The Bangladeshi Government has been installing pressure over persecuted people over there and developing insincere relationship with military, while ignoring Islamic obligations towards Muslim Minority of Burma.
On the other hand, the Bangladesh Government had started its forceful repatriation of Rohingya refugees in 1992, was by shooting over the flock and later in 1997, the Government extended additional forces in the refugee camps on July 20 and 22. During this time, many wounded in teargas of Bangladesh authorities who are still unable to see in the open sky.

Following this, many refugees were arrested, detained and sentenced for long term without proper trial. Meanwhile, Bangladeshi authorities are worse enough in criminalization of refugees to pull them into uncertainty.

In April 1998, a refugee camp was burnt down and many innocent refugees were shot dead, while at least 100 refugees were detained with false and fabricated charges.
The Bangladeshi authorities did another operation on 18 and 19 November 2004 and shot dead many refugees including pregnant women, children and elderly people.
In June 2008, at least 18 Rohingya childrend had to die without any medication as the Bangladesh authorities imposed restriction over international agencies to look into the matter of Rohingya refugees. Government also does not allow NGO to help undocumented Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh who are the double victims of both regime and OIC member state.
Finally, the Bangladeshi Government is keeping the gate open in the Bay of Bengal in order to let the Rohingya to leave Bangladesh to uncertainty.

All these behaviors are totally against humanity and Islamic obligations, while it is also against the international laws. Therefore, we urge upon Bangladesh:-
1.To immediately cease all kinds of misbehaviors that stands against the vulnerable Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh border and to give full respect to the Islamic obligations that accorded in the Quran and Sunnah;
2.To immediately bring the Rohingya issue before the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) resolution in order to bring it to the United Nations General Assembly;
3.To immediately watch the Bay of Bengal in order to protect people from unexpected dead and to reduce dangerous travels;
4.To bring an end of undue representation for the Rohingya and advocate their causes to find permanent solution;
5.To allow international agencies to observe the situation of Rohingya in Bangladesh and along the border that may be helpful to bring an end of their miserable plights.

Executive Committee
All Burma Democratic Force (ABDF)
Union of Burma 

For further information, please contact:
Mohammad Sadek, Tel: 0163094599
Aung Kyaw Moe Tel: 0122430774
Habibur Rahman Te: 0122595185

Relating to their concern and for more details, pl, visit at: www.infiltrationwatch.wordpress.com http://phuketwan.com/tourism/andaman-links-amnesty-torture/