VOCR

14th April, 2010
Kuala Lumpur

A long controversy and one of the hottest issues ever for the refugee communities in Malaysia about a Chin pregnant women detainee has ended prestigiously after the UNHCR protection team got her out from the camp late evening on Monday.

Just after one month of her pregnancy, she and her husband were arrested during the immigration and RELA raid on their accommodation on the 1st of Augus last year and detained them in different camps. She was charged for entering into the country illegally and sentenced for six months of imprisonment. After she served her four-month imprisonment in Kajang prison, the authority shifted her to Seminyih camp and separated from other pregnant women detainees. After one month, the camp authority moved her to Lenggeng camp where she wasted three months due to the renovation of Seminyih camp.
Thla Tin Sui with her new born child sitting at a community office after the OPI team released her from the camp

The refugee communities had hinted about her and raised a lot of questions when they heard that she was going to born a new child in the notorious camp. She was later admitted to Seremban hospital by the guards last week and born her first lovely daughter on Sunday. But sadly, even the husband was banned to visit her during in the hospital due to restricted policies and put her behind the bars. One day later, the guards repatriated her to the camp but fortunately released on 12/04/2010 Monday by the help of UNHCR protection team and called her for interview with regard to her refugee status process.

But it was said that her appointment date for the interview on 13 of April was postponed to have the interview together with her husband and told her to come back when she can get birth certificate for her daughter by the UNHCR. However, it is unpredictable when she can get the birth certificate for her newborn child since she herself does not know where the document is. As she was alone and too weak at the time of delivery that she cannot even realize if the birth certificate was issued or not.

"I was delighted when the OPI team from UNHCR office released me from the camp. But it was so uninspired yesterday for me that the registration officer told me they cannot embed my child under our file without birth certificate. Not only the officer explained me we failed to embed our child but also she eradicated my appointment card for interview process" she said.


"This is the second burden for us. We went to Sereban hospital to get my wife's medical document to submit application for birth certificate but it was said that all medical documents was handed over to the camp guards and needed to go back to the camp. So, I don't think the guards would ever provide all medical document to submit an application for birth certificate since we will not be able to locate the right person," the husband said.