Continued from Malaysia 12-06-06: Generals and Chickens

After leaving the CWO, Goi and I fetch a cab to go to the Arakanese Refugee Relief Center, which is located some ways outside the city. Although we had the address, finding it was no mean feat. Goi's English is not bad, but he has a unique way of communicating - with mumbled words and ambiguous grunts. I suspect this is a result of an ever-present wad of tobacco or other substance that remains well-hidden within with his cheeks. We found ourselves driving in circles looking for the right street, and I had to laugh to myself a little at the ensuing conversation of the driver's "Eh?!" and "La" peppered English, and Goi's mumbles and "uunnhs". This was punctuated by calls to the Arakanese office and a friend of the taxi driver, with further efforts to communicate directions between several people in at least three different languages.

We did finally find the residential complex where the ARRC was located though, and went through the usual round of introductions. There was no grand tour of the flat, but this was hardly necessary as I could pretty much see all of it from where we sat. There was a central room set up with tables for us, a small nook off by the balcony which apparently served as the office, with computer equipment set up, and then two bedrooms off to the right, and a kitchen masquerading as a hole in the wall. I'd guess there were about 20 guys in the office, those not at the table were sitting in corners and doorways.

I felt a lot more prepared for this meeting than I had the others. I had made arrangements with Aung via email before I left, and had tried to do some background research on their situation. The complete lack of available information on Arakanese in Malaysia made my job a little easier, as I pretty much went in there wanting to know anything and everything.

For those unfamiliar with Burma's Arakan State, it's located in western Burma next to Bangladesh, and the length of it runs along the coast. The Arakanese, along with the Mon, where one of the first ethnic groups to settle in the area, with evidence of Arakanese kingdoms stretching back to the third century B.C.

The guys at the ARRC load me up with their reports and documents, which I glance through as we make small talk. They've clearly put a lot of work into organizing and recording everything.

They currently estimate there to be around 6000 Arakanese in Malaysia, a figure which doesn't include the Muslim Rohingya who area also from Arakan State. There are about 3000 in Kuala Lumpur, and 1000 in Penang, with the rest scattered around Malaysia. Only 100 of the Arakanese in Malaysia are women, with about 20 children. Fishing is a common traditional livelihood in Arakan State, and many of the men coming to Malaysia end up working on fishing boats, one of the few jobs that may be worse than construction. Besides the risk of unscrupulous employers and dangerous conditions, the fishermen find themselves at sea for long periods of time, isolated from what little help they might be able to find.

This fact also makes the UNHCR registration process a difficult prospect, as those working outside KL or on fishing boats are unable to travel to the UNHCR office. Of course, this is incidental, as the fact is the UNHCR is not really registering Arakanese. Only about 200 to 250 Arakanese are registered with the UNHCR in Malaysia. Most of the ARRC's own volunteers, who network with NGOs and advocate on behalf of their community, lack UNHCR cards.

They tell me their biggest problem in Malaysia, and their #1 priority, is getting fair and equal recognition from the UNHCR. Their frustration is obvious as they tell me how they feel discriminated against, as other ethnic groups seemed to have been given fair opportunity for registration. The ARRC has been meeting with and pushing the UNHCR for years now, but have had made little headway. Discrimination seems to be their only answer for the difficulties they face.

I feel bad that they feel that way, and try to give them some measure of reassurance that the UNHCR really treats everyone poorly - not just them. But, there seems to be some measure of truth to their conclusion. For the Chin and Kachin, it seems like the number of individuals they've had recognized has increased in proportion to the advocacy work they've done - the current block on registrations notwithstanding. The other ethnic groups like the Mon and Shan have also had few registered, but have only very recently organized themselves. But the ARRC has been around for a couple years, and they seem to be up against a brick wall.

Many of them have been involved in 'political' work - planning and engaging in public protests against the junta, Daewoo, and South Korea. The UNHCR has a general policy of not getting involved when refugees break the law of the country they are in - and Malaysia has laws about public gatherings. This would seem to have created a situation where the UNHCR will offer protection and assistance to political refugees fleeing to Malaysia, only so long as they cease any political activities once they arrive. This misses the fact that activities undertaken in a second country are often what contribute to a person's refugee status.

One ARRC member, Kyaw Win Chey, attempted to return home with a friend sometime last year. When the two crossed the border in Thailand's Ranong province, Kyaw Win Chey was arrested, and is still in jail. He was not arrested for holding a UNHCR card, nor was he arrested for having left Burma without permission - both arrestable offenses. No, he was arrested for holding an ARRC membership card.

Kyaw Tin, one of ARRC's leaders, also tells me that there is no Arakanese translator at the UNHCR - they must communicate in Burmese. Besides the difficulties of accurately telling their story in a second language, however well they speak it, there is a certain level of distrust that the Burmese translator will be able to effectively re-communicate their stories in English.

I ask them what typically happens when an Arakanese person is arrested. They tell me that the officials take them to the Thai border, where they drop them off in camps on the Thai side. The individuals will then stay in the camps - run by brokers - until they can raise enough funds from friends and family to buy their way back into Malaysia. They say this takes maybe 1 - 3 weeks, and if they can't raise the 1,600 to 2,500 RM it takes to buy their freedom, they are sold to the fishing boats.

They tell me how they feel like their lives just go in circles - they sneak into Malaysia, they work for a while, they are arrested, they are deported, and then they sneak back in again to start the whole thing over.

Before we finish our talk, Kyaw Tin tells me to quote him on the following: "Before 1988, 3 armies only. Now, 56 armies [in Arakan State], so we are very crowded in Arakan. We don't want to flee - we have families and wives and children and friends there - I want to stay with my family, but I cannot go back."