Community Rohingya Isslam Pro-Democracy Organization(CRIPDO): 16 March

Monday

UNHCR, Myanmar agree to continued presence in Rakhine state

YANGON, March 13 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR) and Myanmar have agreed to the continued presence of the UNHCR in northern Rakhine state and the southeast of the country, a release of the UN Information Center in Yangon said on Friday.
The agreement was reached during the six-day visit to Myanmar of UNHCR Antonio Guterres from March 7 to 12, covering the areas of Nay Pyi Taw as well as Sittwe and Myeik where he observed UNHCR operations in northern Rakhine state and in the southeast of the country.
Myanmar's state-run radio and television reported Friday night the visit of the UNHCR without mentioning the details of the discussions with the government.
The UNHCR, in its statement, stressed the up gradation of its program in Myanmar with immediate affect, acknowledging that the UNHCR's current level of activities in northern Rakhine state does not correspond to the actual needs.
"The extension of UNHCR's program for the population of northern Rakhine State was agreed, bringing to a positive conclusion discussions that had been taking place," the release said.
A number of specific sectors were identified which include health, education, water sanitation, agriculture and infrastructure, the release disclosed, holding that increasing the scale activities conducted directly by UNHCR or in conjunction with the UN country team and other partner would complement UNHCR's protection role in relation to voluntary return and reintegration.
According to the release, the Myanmar government has designated the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs to coordinate a development program for northern Rakhine state and open discussions were made covering all areas of concern to the UNHCR from prevention of displacement to voluntary return, registration and legal status and improvements to economic and social conditions. More >>>

Burma offers Rohingya return deal .

Burma offers Rohingya return deal
By Jonathan Head BBC News, Bangkok

Burma refuses to grant official status to the Rohingya minority
The Burmese government has said it will take back ethnic Rohingyas who have fled to neighbouring countries.
But it will only do so if they identify themselves as Bengalis, as it refuses to recognise the Rohingyas as one of its official minorities.
Tens of thousands of Rohingyas have left Burma in recent years and washed up in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
In December, the Thai military began dragging boats of Rohingya asylum seekers to sea and setting them adrift.
The policy has provoked widespread condemnation.
However, leaders from the affected countries attending the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Thailand have been unable to agree on a solution to the displaced Rohingyas.
Confronted by evidence that his military had been casting hundreds of Rohingya boat people adrift at sea, the Thai Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, has responded that this is a regional problem which can only be solved in consultation with the various affected countries.
Bizarre policies
This week's Asean summit would seem to be the ideal opportunity - it is one of the few international venues attended by senior Burmese leaders.

Survivor's ordeal on Andaman SeaBut the other Asean states are getting little co-operation from their Burmese colleagues.
The Burmese foreign minister told his Thai counterpart that his country might be willing to take back Rohingyas - but only if they were categorised as Bengalis who reside in Burma, not Burmese citizens.
This is in keeping with a bizarre official policy which denies Rohingyas official status, the right to move around, even to marry without permission, despite the fact that they have lived in western Burma for more than a thousand years.
A memo faxed to journalists by the Burmese consul in Hong Kong last week insisted Rohingyas could not be real Burmese, as they were dark-skinned and "as ugly as ogres".
In any case, sending them back to a country where they face even worse treatment than the average Burmese citizen does not appear to be a practical solution.
That has left the Asean leaders bereft of ideas.
None wants to open the door to more Rohingyas.
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the only option his country had was to turn them back - but that just raises the prospect of hundreds more being left to drift and die on the high seas. More News Please Her>>.

UNHCR Urged To Expedite Relocation Of Rohingya Refugees ::

Oregenal News From
By Mohd Haikal Mohd Isa KULAIJAYA, Feb 27 (Bernama) -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is urged to expedite the relocation process for about 15,000 Rohingya refugees in Malaysia to third countries.Community Rohingya Islam Pro-Democracy Organisation (CRIPDO) president, Mustafa Kamal Abu Basir said, the long-standing problem of resettlement for the refugees had persisted for years without a solution."We (Rohingya refugees) don't want to stay in Malaysia much longer. We have agreed to be relocated to other third countries willing to accept us."We ask that the UNHCR office in Kuala Lumpur find an immediate solution to our problem so that we and our children can start a new life," he told Bernama in an interview today.CRIPDO is one of several organisations formed by Rohingya refugees in Malaysia to care for the welfare of these refugees from Myanmar.According to Mustafa, the official number of Muslim Rohingya refugees in Malaysia was 15,000, but the real figure might exceed 21,000, including new arrivals in the country.He said the number of Rohingya refugees in the country was small compared to about two million in Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia, 150,000 in Thailand and hundreds of thousands in India and other middle-east countries.Although he was thankful for the concern shown by the Malaysian government, Mustafa said the refugees continued to experience various pressure while in this country."Rohingya refugees in Malaysia are not allowed to work and our children aren't allowed to go to school. How can we bear the costs of living if we don't work," he said.He said because of this, some of the refugees got involved in criminal and immoral activities to support their family.Their situation had become worse, he said, because the refugee card issued by the UNHCR office in Kuala Lumpur was not recognised by local authorities in Malaysia.Mustafa claimed that this had resulted in many of the Rohingya refugees to be detained by the authorities in illegal immigrants detention centres before being deported."We are refugees, not illegal immigrants. If we are sent back home we will be killed (by Myanmar military). Have pity on us," he said, adding that he had been arrested 18 times by Malaysian authorities during his 25 years in the country.He said the Rohingyas were an ethnic minority in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar. Home for them was a part of the Arakan state in the western reaches of the military-ruled Myanmar.Having been denied the rights as a Myanmar citizen, the Rohingya people in Arakan faced oppression and hardship including killings by the country's military regime, claimed Mustafa."This has caused thousands of Rohingyas in Arakan to flee by boat to Ranong or Mae Sot in Thailand, before starting their mainland journey to the Malaysian border," he said.-- BERNAMA

AGENTS MAKE FAST BUCK FROM SMUGGLING ROHINGYA REFUGEES INTO MALAYSIA

By MOHD HAIKAL MOHD ISA Bernama - Monday, March 2
KULAIJAYA, March 1 (Bernama) -- Rohingya refugees from Myanmar have to fork out from RM1,000 (children) to RM2,200 (adults) each to agents in southern Thailand to smuggle them into Malaysia.
One of the refugees, Nur Aishah Mohamad, 40, said on arrival in southern Thailand, the refugees were grouped in thick jungle near towns like Tak Bai and Sadao.
"The agents kept us in the jungle under heavy guard. We slept on plastic sheets and were given some food and drinks while waiting for the right time to cross the border into Malaysia.
"Life in the jungle was horrible, dirty and dangerous with venomous snakes all over the place," said Nur Aishah who claimed to have paid about RM5,000 to agents to smuggle her and three children here.
The children are Siti Nor Naha, 8, Mohamad Yahya, 5, and disabled Siti Nor Safia, 4.
Another refugee, Abu Shahid Ahmad, 33, said the agents also used violence against Rohingyas who failed to pay them the smuggling fees.
-- MORE ROHINGYA-AGENTS 2 KULAIJAYA
He said the refugees were regularly beaten up by the agents while some were forced to become beggars to settle the fees.
"I was forced to beg in Kota Baharu for two weeks to collect money for the fees while my wife and child were kept in the jungle. Thankfully, they were not harmed by the agents," he said.
Abu Shahid said he paid agents RM4,500 to smuggle his family into Malaysia and was kept by agents in a jungle near Tak Bai.
His treatment by the agents was nothing compared to what happened to two refugees who failed to pay the fees demanded by the agents.
"The two were shot dead before my eyes and their bodies taken to some jungle area.
Community Rohingya Islam Pro-Democracy Organisation (CRIPDO) president Mustafa Kamal Abu Basir, 36, said refugees who failed to pay agents were sold to Thai fishing operators.
"They will work in the fishing boats until they die. Those who fell ill were shot dead and their bodies thrown overboard," he said. --MORE
ROHINGYA-AGENTS 3 (LAST) KULAIJAYA
Mustafa Kamal who has been staying in Malaysia for 25 years said that Rohingyas have to endure such inhuman treatment because the international community does not care about their plight.
CRIPDO is one of several organisations established by Rohingyas to look after the welfare of some 15,000 refugees in Malaysia.
The Rohingya refugees from the Arakan region of Myanmar fled their country due to hostilities and oppression by the Yangon regime. -- BERNAMA
MHI MHI ZUB