Malaysia, as the current chair of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), should be setting an example as to how it treats Muslims and their concerns. Sadly, we Burmese Muslims are learning that this is not the case.

In Islam, if we Muslims have no power to fight back against a tyrant, an unjust ruler or an oppressive government, it is compulsory for us to migrate (or hijrah ). After all, Allah had given the whole world to such victims to escape and start a new life.

But when we migrate to a Muslim-dominant country, for example, OIC member countries, we find we are labelled as foreigners and not as fellow Muslims. In Malaysia, we are inferior to other foreigners, even non-Muslim foreigners.

This is also happening in all the other OIC member countries as well. We are not asking a sen from the Malaysian government or the OIC. But please persuade both Muslim and non-Muslim countries to stop discriminating against Burmese Muslims. And to consider the relaxation of the strict rules that prevent them - but not others - from living, studying or working in your countries.

We often hear that Malaysia cannot help Burmese refugees because it is not a signatory to the United Nations'1951 Convention of Refugees. Then why has the Malaysian government helped Muslim refugees from Afghanistan, Bosnia, the Philippines, Cambodia and Vietnam in the past?

The benefits extended to these people were remarkable in some cases including Malaysian identity cards, free housing, monthly allowances and work permits.

We feel that this refusal by Malaysia to help Burmese Muslims is because we do not have Caucasian or Malay blood in us. The excuse that Malaysia does not recognise the UN refugees convention is just a smokescreen.

Malaysia may say that 'there was a real war in Bosnia but Burmese Muslims are merely economic migrants'. To this, my only argument is to read this .

All of us know that Malaysian government gives out scholarships to foreign students including to those chosen by the military junta in Burma. All of the scholarships for Burma went to Burmese Buddhists (read: strictly non-Muslims) and most of them are related to the military leaders.

Private Burmese Muslim students in Malaysia could not get any of those scholarships.

We Burmese Muslims want to be far away from our tyrannical anti-Muslim military government and we wish to stay in Muslim-dominant country. We are happy to pay the price for this. And we thank Allah and all of you for allowing us to stay in this peaceful, lovely, progressive Muslim nation.

We are merely requesting for your kind understanding, patience and assistance when our brothers and sisters get into trouble because of a lack of proper documentation.