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