The Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) calls for the UNHCR in Malaysia to respect human rights and to avoid discrimination when dealing with Burmese refugees from Burma.

Burma is made up of the Burmese (Bamar), the Kachin, the Kayar, the Karean, the Chin, the Mon, the Arakan and the Shan. Burmese refugees fled from Burma due to the military regime’s extreme repression.

The people of Burma voted for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as their leader and they don’t agree with junta’s illegitimate rule in Burma. The military regime sees no qualms in oppressing the people of Burma and always use force to crush all opposition regardless of religion, race or ethnicity.

There are more than 70,000 Burmese refugees in Malaysia according to official figures. Since Malaysia is not party to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its protocol, refugees are vulnerable to detention and deportation.

While we applaud the UNHCR’s tireless efforts in helping refugees, we also have reports that the UNHCR office in Malaysia is not being fair in dealing with Burmese refugee issues. Additionally, some of the officers at the UNHCR office in Malaysia are creating a climate of discrimination with regards to dealings with Burmese refugees.

The Burma Democratic Concern (BDC) is very concerned about reports that some UNHCR officers in Malaysia have misunderstood in that they think that the ruling Burmese military junta does not suppress the ethnic Burmese people in Burma because the latter are the majority ethnic group and are Buddhist.

Based on this unreasonable assumption which is totally wrong, most of the Burmese applying for refugee status at the UNHCR office in Malaysia are mostly turned down.

I am surprised to learn of some UNHCR (Malaysia) officers’ misconception towards refugees from Burma. These vulnerable refugees have suffered enough at the hand of a brutal military regime and they don’t deserve the injustice again especially applying for refugee status from one of the world’s most respected humanitarian organisation, the UNHCR.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, should address this matter as a matter of urgency before it tarnishes UNHCR’s good reputation.

The writer is director, Burma Democratic Concern (BDC).