Six persons were arrested in the vicinity of the Burmese embassy this morning as police foiled attempts by a group of Burmese nationals to protest against the continued detention of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The five men and one woman were part of a group of 40 demonstrators who attempted to march past the embassy bearing pictures of Suu Kyi and posters calling for her release.

However, they were stopped by police some 20 metres away from the embassy building and forced to disperse. Several persons who persisted in holding up their posters were arrested.

The six have been brought to the Cheras district police headquarters.

When contacted, an officer at the police headquarters said the six were arrested for participating in an illegal assembly. The officer said investigations are underway if the group would be charged.

Today's demonstration was meant to be a follow-up to a similar event two weeks ago when the same group of protesters gathered peacefully to highlight the political problems in Burma and to demand for Suu Kyi's freedom.

She was detained on May 30 following clashes between her supporters and pro-government groups. The Burmese government, who insisted that she was held for her own safety, has kept her incommunicado except for a visit by UN special envoy Razali Ismail last week.

Arrested refugee

Of the group of demonstrators this morning, most are Burmese asylum seekers who claim to have fled ethnic and religious persecution by the military government in their home states.

The group of 40 protesters, who had initially planned to demonstrate outside the Burmese embassy, were prevented from approaching the mission by the presence of about 10 police officers.

They gathered shortly at a petrol station along Jalan Ampang Hilir before proceeding to march towards the embassy after securing permission by several police officers to do so.

However, another group of plainclothes officers stopped them some distance away from the embassy and arrested them.

Of the six detained, two are said to have valid working visas. However, they are also believed to have applied for political asylum with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The sole woman arrested, 37-year-old Mu Mu Kyaw Lwin, is said to be recognised as a refugee by the UNHCR. She is due to depart for resettlement in Canada on June 24.

The status of the other three individuals is uncertain but it is believed that they do not have valid immigration visas.

Imprisonment

When contacted, UNHCR protection officer Shinji Kubo declined to comment, saying that the agency would first have to verify the identities of those arrested.

Earlier this week, seven Burmese Rohingyas were arrested when they attempted to scale the gates of the United States embassy in Kuala Lumpur in a bid to seek asylum.

They are still detained at the Cheras district police headquarters.

Malaysia is home to more than 10,000 undocumented Burmese nationals, mostly members of various ethnic minority groups.

Although many were repeatedly arrested on immigration charges and deported by Malaysian authorities to neighbouring Thailand, most returned within weeks out of fear of being sent back to Burma.

They claimed that they would be imprisoned by Burmese authorities if they are returned to their home provinces.

pix by Yap Mun Ching/mkini