Another Burmese group forces its way into refugee agency's compound

comments     Yap Mun Ching     Published     Updated

A second group of Burmese immigrants forced their way into the compound of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) early this morning to join a previous group to demand for asylum.

According to UNHCR Protection Officer Shinji Kubo, the second group of nine adult men claiming to be Burmese Rohingyas arrived at about 3am and cut through the refugee agency's compound fence.

The Rohingyas joined another group of six men, one woman and two children, who forced their way into the UNHCR yesterday morning in a bid for asylum and resettlement in a third country.

The Rohingyas are an ethnically distinct Muslim community originating from the northwestern Burmese state of Arakan. A majority of them claim to have fled their country because of ethnic and religious persecution by the Burmese military junta.

They have also been denied citizenship by the Burmese government.

When met at the UNHCR gate, the latest arrivals said they entered by crawling through a hole in the perimeter fencing of the compound ( right ).

'We want help'

Kabir Ahmad ( left ), a 29-year-old Rohingya, said he has been living in Malaysia for the past 10 years and had been deported at least four times previously.

"We want to ask the UNHCR to help us," said Kabir whose wife is currently stranded in south Thailand after being deported there last May.

The group denied that they had followed the first group of Rohingyas in invading the compound but said they had planned the action separately.

Asked what happened after their break-in, Mohd Sabir, 31, said they were allowed to sit in the UNHCR compound to wait for officials to arrive for the day.

"At about 5.30am, we moved out to wait here," said Sabir referring to the decision to sit near the UNHCR gate.

On the gate were several posters put up by the Rohingyas. One said, "We are homeless and countryless. Please give us humanitarian [aid] and freedom."

Another poster said, "Our demands: We are asylum seekers, Rohingya refugees. We need free democracy. Human rights are our rights." ( left )

When asked to state UNHCR's position on the matter, Kubo said the agency is in the process of determining the identity of the immigrants.

"They use different names so it is difficult to confirm their identities," he said during a telephone interview this morning.

UNHCR's dilemma

Kubo added that the work of the UNHCR in assessing the claims of the newcomers is difficult since some of them have refused to be interviewed.

"They are refusing the interview and instead, demand for immediate recognition. However, UNHCR has to constantly abide by its procedures," he explained of the dilemma faced by the agency.

Asked if more persons are expected to enter the refugee agency's compound in a similar manner, Kubo said he could not "exclude the possibility" that more will turn up.

As for the first group of Rohingyas, the UNHCR official said aside from one or two persons who were interviewed yesterday, all the others have been rejected previously in their applications for asylum.

"They (the Rohingyas in the compound) are constantly in contact with others using their cell phones. They also seem to be only interested in showing themselves to the media.

"This jeopardises the position of the UNHCR and makes their claim for asylum quite weak," he added.

Meanwhile, at another section of the UNHCR compound, Din Mohamad, a Rohingya who entered the UNHCR compound yesterday, said he is still waiting for the decision on his asylum application.

"We were given food at about 12.15 this afternoon. But the woman with us is eight months pregnant and she is not well," said Din, pointing to a row of small white wooden houses within the UNHCR grounds where the woman was resting. The nine had also spent the night there. ( above )

According to him, the second group of Rohingyas had arrived separately and were unknown to him.

"The police were here until about 2am. Then some other people entered," he recalled.

Police briefed

Kubo said the UNHCR had already contacted the police and briefed them on the situation.

However, he added that no action will be taken pending the UNHCR's work in identifying the Rohingyas.

According to Kubo, Malaysian authorities have not intervened yet in the matter but this cannot be guaranteed if the situation worsens.

"It depends on whether the situation can be contained. If more turn up, we cannot guarantee that we can continue to maintain the situation," he added.

As of this afternoon, two policemen have been posted guard outside the refugee agency.

The two incidents are similar to an earlier attempt this year by Rohingya groups to gain asylum by entering the refugee agency's compound.

In January, a group of 28 Rohingyas invaded the UNHCR grounds but upon failing to qualify as the agency's mandate refugees, they were later handed over to Malaysian authorities and deported to Thailand.



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