VOCR
March 15, 2009
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Last Friday evening, the Malaysian authorities and immigration held operation by blocking the local buses, and arrested hundreds of illegal residents in Malaysia.

Mr. Rung said, “My friends and I came back from our work around 7:30PM. When we arrived Klang our bus was stopped by immigration police. All passengers were checked. Those who have valid passport and some UNHCR card holders were released. But those who did not have any legal documents were immediately arrested and were taken by four lorry trucks. I think they all were taken to a detention camp.”

A couple of refugee young men from Burma were not arrested in the operation. However, they waited until the immigration police left the place. They spent the whole night on a cement floor as they could not get any bus or taxi at mid night.The authorities blocked the local buses and railways in order to hunt migrant workers and residents. Such operation does not lance asylum-seekers and refugee either. Refugees and asylum-seekers are living in fear of arrest and being detained. Within December 2008 and January 2009 eleven asylum-seekers who belong to Chin ethnic people from Burma were canned for two strokes each after 7 month detention in a detention camp and prison in Perak state.