bangkit.net

On 28th January 2007, a joint force by 70 RELA (People’s Voluntary Corps) and 30 enforcement personnel of the Sepang Municipal Council (MPS) conducted a raid in Kampung Sungai Merab, Denkil, resulting in the arrest and detention of more than 170 “illegal” migrants from predominantly Chin ethnic Burmese group. Those arrested included 14 with UNHCR recognized status; 7 with Refugee Status Determination (RSD) letters; and 34 Asylum Seekers.

The raid in which was conducted by both RELA and the enforcement began at 8am lasted four hours. The enforcement police then returned again to the area at 2pm for an additional two hours. It is alleged that tents, clothing and food were burnt to the ground. Then at 6pm, ten locals came to the areas on motorbikes and destroyed all the remaining tents which provided shelter to the people.

SUARAM deplores this indiscriminate act in which was deliberately directed against those coming to find a safe haven in Malaysia. The government continues to deny recognition of refugee status as different from ‘illegal migrants’ and fails to understand the need for human rights protection for such vulnerable people.

As of this morning, over 170 of so-called “illegal migrants” including refugees and asylum seekers still remain in custody at the Lenggeng Detention centre. Conditions in Malaysian detention camps are rife with problems of overcrowding, inadequate facilities, deficient dietary and frequent physical abuses of detainees by guards and police. SUARAM is concerned over the prospects of prolonged detention under deplorable conditions and potential deportation of detainees to countries where their lives will be in serious danger.

SUARAM continues to be highly concerned about the government’s continued utilization of untrained civil volunteers, particularly the RELA (People’s Volunteer Corp) in its ongoing operations against undocumented migrants in Malaysia which has allowed serious breach of human rights to permeate.

Cases of RELA raids have indicated clearly the gross misuse of power and highly unprofessional conduct involving theft, extortion of money, corruption and physical abuse of suspected illegal immigrants. We also consider such arrests on refugees and asylum seekers via the conduct of RELA to be a national shame and a dangerous setback for the promotion and protection of human rights in Malaysia, especially in light of the fact that Malaysia is a member of the esteemed United Nations Human Rights Council.

SUARAM calls for the government to immediately secure the release of all the asylum seekers and refugees and to immediately stop the deployment of RELA in such raids as they are not professionally trained and accountable to conduct such operations.

As a member of the UN Human Rights Council, we reiterate our call for the government to ratify the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugee and the 1990 international Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families.

Yap Swee Seng
Executive Director