Voice of the Zomi Refugees:: Zomi International Refugee Council

News Alert: Raid of Zomi Refugee Camp (Saturday, June 14, 2008)

There are more than 10000 Zomi Refugees who fled from fear of persecution, prosecution, religious and racial discrimination in Malaysia. They hardly survive their day-to-day living. Many of them stay in the jungle camp for lack of enough money to survive. They face various treat of life and security concern from raid by the authorities.

On Saturday, June 14, 2008 at 12:00 Noon, the RELA raided the Zomi refugee camp Wangsa Permai (Kepong) while the only hope they have on a day to day basis is the security protection of the UNHCR. There were 30 people including, patients, women and children were arrested while the rest (the stronger and faster people) of 40 out of 70 were able to run for their life in the deeper forest.

According to the recent SMS we received 5 minutes ago said, 30 of them were taken to Kota Damansara police station, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The Malaysia authorities raided 18 Zomi refugees including women, minor (children under age), and patients a month ago in April of this year. They were wrongly accused of “Lenggeng camp” fire incident and, were beaten to blood, tortured and treated inhumanly. The pain and suffering of what the Zomi refugees went through in both physically as well as emotionally tumor is in their heart, while this incident doubles the suffering, pain and fear by the Zomi refugees living in Malaysia. However, according to a reliable source among those refugees, the UNHCR have not taken protection for those detained and vulnerable refugees.

“We are not sure of how the UNHCR will respond to today’s incident both to the 30 arrested Zomi refugees as well as those vulnerable people who managed to escape in the jungle spread out here and there” said a 40-year old Zomi refugee woman.

She added that “we have no clue of how to keep in contact with our relatives deep in the jungle as they run for their life in the strange forest.” It would be easy for me if they were arrested by the authority because we’re sure that they are somewhere in the detention camp or in the jail but we now, are worry more for their life in the deep jungle as we have no contact with them while tears.

There are more than ten thousands of Zomi refugees and other ethnic minorities in Malaysia; the UNHCR is the only International Body to protect the vulnerable refugees because Malaysia did not sign the 1951 Refugee Convention. The UNHCR-Malaysia is the only possible source to give hand and protect the refugees but due to low process, skipping for the Zomi and long queue of vulnerable refugees waiting for refugee recognition in the dangerous jungle camps and any other places they find for survival.

Photos: This is how Zomi refugees in Malay are spending their live for day-to-day survival.