STATEMENT ON THE WORLD REFUGEE DAY 2011: SQUALID CONDITION OF THE ROHINGYA BURMESE REFUGEES IN THE WORLD

20 June 2011
Press Release..

STATEMENT ON THE WORLD REFUGEE DAY 2011 

SQUALID CONDITION OF THE ROHINGYA BURMESE REFUGEES IN THE WORLD

We, National Democratic Party for Human Rights (NDPHR) (exile)-Headquarters based in the

United States of America and the South East Asia Regional Office in Malaysia, would like to

express our concern over Burma's regime’s installation of the worst proportion of inhuman pogrom

against ethnic minorities in Burma. Particularly of the Rohingyas in western border of Burma

through out the forced labour, force eviction, forced extortion, forced extermination, forced

relocation, torture, extra judicial killings, rape, model village settlement, restriction on their

movement and freedom of worship, education, social and business development Rohingya

refugees which make continuous flow of refugees. Hence the Rohingya Burmese refugees are

languishing under the traumatic mistreatments around the world specifically in Bangladesh,

Thailand, Malaysia and Suadi Arabia.

As Rohingya refugees are Burma's first refugees and defined as the world most oppressed group,

the plights received international attention and UNHCR's supports thereupon global leaders have

yet to pave solution for the plights.

In Bangladesh, the situation is cramp and the government restricts aid of Rohingya. About 28,000

Rohingya Burmese refugees are in squalid at the UNHCR runs camps of Kutupalong and

Nayapara in southern district of Cox’s Bazar, have been there for three decades, and about 30,000

Rohingyas in unregistered camp are for years. While no one know how the rest about 250,000

Rohingyas in outside refugee camps are surviving. The UNHCR has resettled less than thousand

Rohingyas from the registered camps since the year 2006. The enormous problems in Bangladesh

are direct impacts on vulnerable Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Despite having well knowledge

of the world on repatriated refugees, UNHCR and Bangladeshi government have still uphold to

establish agreement with Burma for involuntary repatriation of Rohingya refugees. We would like

to call upon Bangladesh itself depends on funds, should not ban international aid of the other and

to respect non-refoulement and customary laws.

The expression of majority willing to repatriate by UNHCR in Aug 1994 was flawed after MSF

survey in March 1995 revealed that 63% did not want to repatriate. Therefore we deeply concern

for processing of repatriation of Rohingya refugees which advantages on their malnutrition or

starvation, stuck, with other stimulation by offers.

In Thailand, recent repeated mistreatments towards Rohingya boat people show Thai-authorities

barbarous commitment of genocide crimes against humanity and defiance against international

communities and international laws. Thai army and Internal Security Operation Command-ISOC

are responsible for misconception of the Rohingya as threat to Thai national security.

That lead in March 2008, Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej attempted to explore a deserted island

to place Rohingya refugees living in Thailand, Bankok Post Paper on 28 March 2008.

Again in Dec 2008, total about 1116 Rohingya and some Bangladeshi boat people were towed into

international waters and more than half were feared dead including firing, some were shot dead on

boat and some were thrown over boat to drown.

Current PM Abhisit Vejjajiva had promise to hold all those involved to account. Instead of

investigation to bring into account or compensation for those lost of lives, Thai PM is still upheld

its authorities to treat rank-less behaviour towards vulnerable boat people.

Again in Jan 2011, three boats of Rohingya refugees landed over the weekend of January in

Southern Thai-waters, were similarly pushed back into international waters. A group 91 persons

rescued near India-Andaman Island and another group 129 persons rescued near Indo-Acheh.

We therefore would like to urge international community to take action on Thai-authority and PM

for pursuing similar crimes.

In Saudi Arabia, Rohingyas been there for five decades and still facing arrests, detentions and

forceful deportations, and exempt from basic rights. They are living mostly in Makkah, Jeddah and

Madina in poor conditions. Even though Former King Abdullah had showed a little favour towards

their plights, detention of Rohingyas is slightly increased from 5,000 persons estimated in 2008

Oct who were nab from Mecca and Jeddah. Those detainees were forced to accept to

say Bangladeshi and several hundreds were deported to Bangladesh in this manner. They are kept

without adequate foods and equipments in dilapidated buildings by guarding due to overcrowding

in prisons and failure of deportation. Most of them are in inhuman situation and suffering from

types of diseases, shortage of food and in non hygienic and squalid environment. Half of those

detained in dilapidated building had been escaped. This kind of treatments are totally unexpectable

in Muslim kingdom of Saudi Arabia therefore we would like to call Saudi Arabia to show

humanity towards its Muslim brothers and at least they must be protected under Islamic universal

Laws.

In Malaysia, Rohingyas is the first among Burmese refugee groups. Rohingya refugees in

Malaysia have been languishing more than two decades in limbo with lack of basic needs.

Malaysia is not a signatory country therefore Rohingya refugees are still subject to arrest,

detention and other abuses. Current UNHCR representative has yet to explore assistance of widow,

over aged and sick Rohingyas, Rohingya families whose husband are kept in Australian

detentions, registration of unregistered Rohingyas whose data were collected since the mid-2009,

fair and equal opportunity in resettlement quota. Because there are less than 250 Rohingyas found

in UNHCR resettlement, about 43,000 refugees from Malaysia in the past decade. Compare to the

past years UNHCR has able to get release of refugee detainees from some detentions. But it does

not mean they are protected. There are still swapped in raids and hundreds of unreported

numbers are still languished and detained in dehumanized conditions where UNHCR service not

explore or access. 

The Malaysian government is also still silent on Home Minister said in Feb

2010 that the refugees to be allowed to work was being considered while waiting to be resettled in

third countries. We would like to call Malaysian government to corporate to find permanent

solution for the plights of Rohingyas refugees in Malaysia and to upgrade its detention system.

Repressions of oppressed Rohingya refugees in host countries became one of the issues

why Rohingya refugees in neighboring countries are busy to find a safe place through risky

journey. 

We see secondary movements of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to Malaysia and

Rohingya refugees in Malaysia departing for Australia because they expect to find more secure

and safe place. From the year 2006, we escalated that total Rohingyans landed to Australia from

Malaysia are; 8 Rohingyans by a boat in Aug 2006, 42 Rohingyans by four different boats in

between September to Dec 2009, 98 Rohingyans and 8 different ethnic Burmeses by six different

boats in between March to October 2010 and recently 18 Rohingyans landed near Ashmore

Reef by a boat on 12 May 2011. This last group was told that they would be transferred to where

they came from and they are kept separately for final decision near North West Point Immigration

Detention Centre of Christmas Island. One of the key reasons of their arrival was after the talk of

swap deal. We urge Malaysian government not to accept this 18 Rohingya men as Malaysia is not

in position to fulfill their basic needs and Malaysia has yet to settle existing Rohingya cases.

108 Rohingyans landed by a boat in Pulau Kendi, off Penang on 4 March 2007, were detained in

Juru detention camps and half of them were deported to Burma border through voluntary

corporation with Thai. The rest were langusihed for fear of repatriation so that they were finally

handed over to human traffickers in Malays-Thai border.

A few of trafficked in fishing boat were landed in Terenganu beach in Oct 2007 after broke down

the engine. They were detained in Ajil detention camp and some accessed UNHCR's intervention.

93 Rohingyans landed by a boat in Kedah in Mrch 2010 after received aid from Thai. They were

detained prolong then finally some got UNHCR's intervention.

Some of those Thai pushed back Rohingya boat people in Indonesia captured in Malay-waters in

March 2010, were detained prolong and a few were met UNHCR accessement.

We also found that Rohingya boat people asylum-seekers in Australian detentions are being the

longest group and treated unequally in visa processing and then detained inappropriately by

advantaging on security checks despite Australia has well understanding about Rohingya position

and Australia itself is one of the country which advocate for their plights and contributed for the

welfare of Rohingyas both in home and exile. Such prolong detention contracts psychological

torture and affects mental and then that bruise their families left behind. On the consequences of

pressure so far 32 of 42 Rohingya refugees arrival in 2009 were released after averagely detained

13 months, the rest six persons in Northern Immigration Detention Centre (NIDC), 3 persons in

Villawood and one person in Maribyrnong detentions are still languishing in limbo. Including two

of them; Mr Habiburahman is head and Mr Sayad Kasim is Joint Secretary of NDPHR (exile)

South East Asia Regional Office based in KL, Malaysia, have been detaining now in 18 months in

NIDC. Their lives in Malaysia were risked and they both had been personally experienced with

arrests, detentions and deportation to human traffickers in Malay-Thai border.

We acknowledged their detention is worst than mandatory detention as mandatory detention has a

mandate with key values which ensure fair and humane treatment. The period of their detention

excessive length of proper process while thousands of clients who arrived lately and faking

Rohingya cases were already released. Unfortunately, such indefinite detention doesn't import

the way to have good conduct and good order in Australian society. They proved their identities

received UNHCR-Malaysia but their cases are still hanging for puppet security checks regardless

of government notice released on 17 March 2011. There is no Rohingya threat to Burmese society

or other country. Rohingya community in Burma have been terrorized at least five decades by

terror military government. Moreover, they are bounded in the cycle of arrests, detentions,

deportations and other brutal abuses in neighbouring countries. Therefore, their detention is

nothing more than arbitrary detention of innocent refugees.

We concerns seriously for prolong detention of the world most oppressed Rohingya refugee

asylum-seekers detained in Australia and Australia as a leader in humanitarian fields and that uplift

international laws, should not detained inappropriately, nor materialize the swap deal to send back

Rohingya refugee boat people asylum-seekers to the country where is not safe for refugees and

asylum-seekers even for legal migrants. Despite boat people issue in Australia brought to a hot

debate by politicians, their rights in Australian territory should not be deprived for political

interaction. This is nothing more than degrading of Australia's human rights record and letting to

mess-up the situation.

 

In summary we also would like to call international communities to encourage UNSC to take

action unexceptionally on military regime. Burma's neighbouring countries or its associations does

not import security and safety of the Burmese people therefore there is nothing to rely on them.

Thank you,

Executive Committee
National Democratic Party for Human Rights (NDPHR), exile
Headquarters, United States of America
For media contact:
Kyaw Soe Aung Te: +14147364273