As per my previous post, this is an appeal to write letters to the Malaysian government calling for an end to the abuse and arrests of asylum-seekers and refugees. The Home Affairs Minister and Foreign Minister have recently made comments that government does not recognize the authority of the UNHCR, and will not recognize refugees in Malaysia. They have announced plans to arrest up to half a million illegal migrants, and are using the People's Volunteer Corps, Rela, to conduct raids. Many victims have recounted abuse and violence at the hands of Rela volunteers, and registered refugees as well as legal visa holders have been arrested and harassed.

Please write to the Malaysian ministers and let them know that their attitude and disregard for the human rights of migrants and refugees is not acceptable and that people are paying attention. They've justified their policies and the use of Rela by saying they have the support of the Malaysian people, and by playing on fears of invasion by floods of illegal migrants. But immigration policy should be shaped by reason and logic, not xenophobia, and economics is never a justification to deny people their human rights.

Here are a few points to request in your letters:   more »

Immigration raids and arrests have been steadily increasing in Malaysia, as the government announced plans to arrest up to half a million illegal migrants this year. Rela, the People's Volunteer Corps, has been mobilized to do immigration's dirty work. Rela has become known for their violent raids and abuse of power. Suaram, the Malaysian human rights NGO, reported last year on several incidents of abuse by Rela officers, including beatings, theft during raids, and arrest of individuals with valid documents. One raid on a market was followed by five bodies being pulled from a nearby lake.

More recently, on March 12, Rela conducted a raid in Jalan Imbi, a neighborhood known to be home to a large number of Burmese nationals - mostly asylum-seekers and refugees from Chin State. The Chin Refugee Center is also located in Jalan Imbi. According to the Chinland Guardian,

"The raid began around 1:00 am and continued for several hours. Forty-eight Chin asylum seekers from Burma, including ten women, have been taken to Seminyah detention camp, where they will await deportation.

Among those arrested and detained is, Salai Ni Kio, a resettled refugee visiting from Denmark on valid travel documents. According to our sources, the Malaysian authorities have confiscated his travel documents and are refusing to release him. The Danish Embassy has been notified about the situation."

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March 8th was International Women's Day, and although this post is a day late, it's still a good time to reflect on the issue of women's rights. The International Women's Day 2007 site has a history of IWD. I find it unfortunate that in reading that page, I didn't come across one bit of information that I already knew. According to the site, the first National Women's Day was observed in the U.S on February 28th, a year after 15,000 women marched through New York city demanding better work conditions and the right to vote. In 1911, "More than one million women and men attended IWD rallies campaigning for women's rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination."   more »