A group of Burmese refugees is forced to live in the jungles out of fear for Malaysian authorities, said rights group Suaram.

According to Suaram's Human Rights Report 2003, there are some 6,000 to 7,000 Chins - a Christian ethnic minority from Burma - who have entered Malaysia illegally.

The report said the Chins, who are tired of the constant harassment from police and immigration personnel, have resorted to setting-up settlements in jungles.

At present, there are four to five such settlements, each home to hundreds of refugees. A settlement at the fringe of Putrajaya has over 300 men, who mainly work at the administrative capital's construction sites.

The report said those in the settlement live in dilapidated 'tents'. Each tent has about 8 to 14 occupants, who often sleep on wooden platforms.

"By pooling resources, those who are employed are able to feed those who are temporarily without income. Together they can survive more easily than if they were separated," read the report.

Despite moving into the jungles, the refugees still end up falling prey to the authorities.

Exploited and harassed

The Putrajaya settlement leader - known only as Ahkuah - who has been living there for six years, recalled how he had to pay RM1,000 to policemen after they threatened to send him to a detention camp.

Former gospel preacher, David, who holds a masters degree from India, said: "Police sometimes hide in wait along the road we take to work and then demand RM1,000 from us.

"Usually we end up paying RM500 or RM600. If we don't have it, we must collect it by borrowing it from our friends," he added.

Last June, the police allegedly raided and razed the settlement, forcing the refugees to flee deeper into the jungle. The report claimed that two refugees died as a result of injuries sustained during the incident while nine were arrested and sent to detention camps.

Meanwhile, the report said the Chins are also often exploited by their employers.

However, it added that living here allows them to escape religious and ethnic persecutions in Burma, where abuses such as "arbitrary arrest and detention, torture, rape and extra-judicial execution" are the norm.

"Villagers (in Burma) are forced to provide food for the soldiers, and land is confiscated without compensation. Forced labour is used to build roads, army camps and for agricultural projects," it added.

The report cited the Kuala Lumpur-based Chin Refugee Centre as the sole organisation dedicated to fend for the welfare of the Chins. The centre was established in August 2002.