UNHCR Burmese invaders deported to Thailand
Several Burmese illegal immigrants who were detained after invading the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees offices compound in Kuala Lumpur last month were deported to Thailand last week.
Ghiyathudeen, an activist with the Burma Solidarity Group of Malaysia, said the six Rohingya Muslims, including two children and one ailing elderly man, were forcefully repatriated by Malaysian immigration officials.
However, he could not state the exact date of the deportation.
They are being held at an immigration camp across the border in south Thailand, said Ghiyathudeen when contacted this afternoon.
The six were part of a group of 28 Rohingyas who entered the UNHCR compound in January to plead for third country asylum.
The group, which the UNHCR claimed were rejected asylum seekers, were handed over to the police and later taken to the detention camp for illegal immigrants in Semenyih, Selangor pending deportation.
Ghiyathudeen said he recently spoke to those still at the Semenyih camp and said so far, they were able to resist attempts to deport them.
The others have said that they will not leave Malaysia. They will have to be forced out, he added.
The Rohingya refugees, when met at the UNHCR compound last month, said after being deported to Thailand they were usually left at the Burmese-Thai border where they could face possible execution by Burmese border guards.
Two women arrested
In a separate development, the UNHCR has confirmed that two Burmese women arrested by Malaysian police last Sunday for violation of immigration laws, are registered with the UN as mandate refugees.
The two have provided information which fall under the criteria (for asylum) provided by the UNHCR mandate. They have reasons to fear conditions back home, said Protection Officer Kubo Shinji during a telephone interview.
The two women from the Burmese Chin community were headed to a church in Kuala Lumpur last Sunday when arrested by police.
According to Kubo, the UNHCR is negotiating with Malaysian authorities to secure their release.
He said although the two women held letters stating their refugee status, they did not have valid residential visas issued by the Malaysian government.
The current standing is that the Malaysian government has its immigration rules but the UNHCR has to ensure that recognised refugees are given the minimum standard of human rights such as freedom of movement while in the country, said Kubo.
When asked, Kubo said that the agency was hopeful of securing the release of the duo based on previous good experience when dealing with similar situations.
The Malaysian government is in full respect of the principle of non refoulement , said Kubo. This principle, he explained, refers to the obligation of states not to return a refugee to a country if his or her life or freedom would be threatened there.
The Rohingyas and Chins are minority groups in Burma. Many fled their country alleging religious persecution by the ruling Burmese military junta. They also claim they have been denied their citizenship rights.
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