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Asia's New Boat People

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Asia's New Boat People 0 BURMA’S DISPLaced PEOPLE FMR 30 Asia’s new boat people Chris Lewa Thousands of stateless Rohingyas are leaving Burma and preferred destination. Travel agents Bangladesh, dreaming of a better life in Malaysia. in Bangladesh arranged ‘Bangladeshi passports’, Hajj or Umra visas to Bengali in terms Mecca and air tickets. The trip was of ethnicity, usually paid for by migrants’ relatives language and who had already settled there. religion. The Rohingya were In previous years, several boats rendered stateless had carried Rohingyas to Malaysia by the Burma via Thailand but their number Citizenship Law swelled considerably from the end of 1982.3 Gross of October 2006. While the human human rights rights situation in North Arakan abuses and remains a constant push factor, there discriminatory has been no significant deterioration practices against which would explain this sharp them since then increase in boat people but rather include severe the combination of several pull restrictions on factors. Tighter security measures their movements, implemented by Bangladesh requirement following the nation-wide bombing of special campaign by Islamic extremists permission in 2005 made the procurement of to marry, Bangladeshi passports very difficult. confiscation of GHRE www.ghre.org land, forced This coincided with stricter labour and regulations governing the issuing of Boat people On 25 November 2007, a trawler arbitrary taxation as well as neglect visas plus reinforced immigration arrested in and two ferry boats carrying some of health and education services. control at airports in Saudi Arabia. Thailand 2008. 240 Rohingyas being smuggled As other alternative migration routes to Malaysia sank in the Bay of Bangladesh was the destination are now virtually closed to the Bengal. About 80 survived; the rest of two mass exoduses in 1978 Rohingyas, Malaysia is currently the drowned. A week later, another and 1991-92 of a total of 250,000 only affordable Muslim destination boat sank, allegedly fired at by the Rohingya refugees, each followed and the sea voyage the only option Burmese Navy. 150 are believed to by a repatriation exercise often for leaving Bangladesh and Burma have perished. Many Rohingyas conducted under duress. To date, without travel documents. are ready to embark on a risky sea 26,000 remain in Bangladesh in two journey in order to escape oppression, official refugee camps supervised Malaysia: primary destination discrimination and dire poverty. by UNHCR. An estimated 200,000, In August 2006, Malaysia started On 3 March 2008, the Sri Lankan including many repatriated refugees registering Rohingyas for residence/ Navy rescued 71 passengers, most who then fled for a second time, work permits. Although the of them Rohingya, from a boat that have settled in precarious conditions process was soon suspended due had drifted for 22 days in the Indian in villages and semi-urban slums to allegations of fraud, rumours of Ocean with a broken engine. Twenty outside the camps or in an unofficial registration and job opportunities in had already died from starvation and makeshift site near Teknaf, with a booming economic environment dehydration.1 The Arakan Project2 little or no access to humanitarian spread like wildfire among Rohingyas estimates that, from October 2006 assistance and protection. in North Arakan and Bangladesh. to mid March 2008, more than 8,000 Local smuggling and recruiting boat people departed mostly from the Migratory movements of Rohingyas networks in North Arakan and coast of Bangladesh towards Thailand beyond Bangladesh are nothing Bangladesh swiftly emerged. Two and then Malaysia, including about new. For decades, smugglers and deals are offered to prospective 5,000 during the sailing season from traffickers have sent Rohingyas to candidates: sea passage to the shores the end of October 2007 to the present. Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the UAE of southern Thailand for less than where many obtained a temporary US$300 or an all-inclusive package up The Rohingya are a Muslim minority permit to stay. At the end of 2005, to the final destination in Malaysia for group numbering some 725,000 and 11,000 were also registered for between $700 and $1,000. Most boat inhabiting North Arakan (Rakhine) temporary protection with UNHCR passengers are males aged between State, adjacent to Bangladesh. They in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 18 and 40 but children as young as are related to the Chittagonian although Saudi Arabia remained the eight have been found among them. FMR 30 BURMA’S DISPLaced PEOPLE 1 The route, which for most starts in fee of around $700 and carry them departures continues to rise, more North Arakan with a brief transit across Thailand to Malaysia. The and more families are desperately in Bangladesh, passes through Thai authorities later attempted seeking news of missing relatives. Thailand and continues overland to deport a few directly into the to Malaysia. The sea crossing hands of the Burmese immigration Responses in the region lasts about one week. As most, if authorities, probably as a test case, The Burmese regime does not not all, boats are captured upon but these deportees were pushed appear interested in stemming the arrival, the itinerary via Thailand back to Thailand the following day. movements of Rohingya boat people. is deemed safer. Arrest in Malaysia In 2007, some boat people caught would mean a longer detention However, since the onset of the new in Burma were briefly detained period and eventual deportation sailing season in November 2007, the and released – after payment of across the border to Thailand. whereabouts of the boat people after a bribe – or simply towed back Complex networks of smugglers and initial detention remain unknown towards Thai territorial waters. brokers, mostly but not exclusively and a matter of serious concern. It is However, more recently, a couple Rohingyas, are involved at various believed that the Thai immigration of boats landed on the Burmese levels in transporting Rohingya authorities hand them over to brokers coast and boat people were given from North Arakan to Bangladesh, in south Thailand who allegedly seven-year jail sentences for having from Bangladesh to Thailand and, detain them near the Malaysian re-entered the country illegally. finally, overland from Thailand to border until a fee is paid for them Malaysia. The networks operate to be smuggled across. As on the So far, Bangladesh has only taken in collusion with law enforcement Thai-Burmese border, brokers on the minor steps to counter the smuggling personnel in these four countries. Thai-Malaysian border routinely beat of Rohingya boat people. Since their detainees to pressure them into October 2007, Bangladesh law Until 21 March 2007, boat people arranging payment. Those unable enforcement agencies have intensified arrested along the coast of South to pay have reportedly been sold to raids at departure points and at Thailand were briefly detained and plantation owners or fishing boats Burmese border crossing points. subsequently deported ‘informally’ as bonded labour. Many ultimately A few people were even pushed into a cease-fire zone in Burma reach Malaysia and find jobs as illegal back across the Naf River to Burma. close to Mae Sot. Brokers would migrants but many also disappear Usually only passengers are caught release them upon payment of a on the way. As the number of boat – not the smugglers themselves, who Myanmar’s forgotten people Nyi Nyi Kyaw The Rohingyas have a history Foreign Affairs of Myanmar on 26 remain greatly restricted. The which dates back to the February 1992, the government presence of UNHCR and some beginning of the 7th century declared: “In actual fact, although other international NGOs in when Arab Muslim traders there are [135] national races living northern Rakhine State can help settled in Arakan (Rakhine). in Myanmar today, the so-called ameliorate the current plight Rohingya people is not one of them. of the Rohingyas but without They were recognised as an Historically, there has never been political will from within the indigenous ethnic group by a ‘Rohingya’ race in Myanmar.” Myanmar military government, the U Nu government during their plight cannot be resolved. the parliamentary era in the In response to criticisms from 1950s but lost their political and the UN Committee on the Rights Nyi Nyi Kyaw (nnkster@gmail. constitutional identity when of the Child in April 2004, the com) is an MSc candidate the military government of junta stated that it had granted (International Political Economy) General Ne Win promulgated full and equal treatment to the at the S Rajaratnam School of the Citizenship Act of Burma Rohingyas, as with other races, in International Studies (RSIS), in 1983. This effectively denied matters relating to birth and death Nanyang Technological University, the Rohingyas recognition of registration, education, health Singapore. A Muslim native of their status as an ethnic minority and social affairs. Moreover, the Myanmar, Nyi Nyi Khaw lived all group. Harsh discrimination junta also mentioned that the his life in Myanmar before moving against them soon followed. Rohingyas are listed as a Bengali to Singapore to do his MSC. A racial group and recognised as longer version of this article first The military junta maintains permanent residents of Myanmar. appeared online in February 2008 a clearly articulated stance on at: www.rsis.edu.sg/publications/ the Rohingya people. In a press However, in practice, the rights Perspective/RSIS0122008.pdf release issued by the Ministry of of the Rohingya population 2 BURMA’S DISPLaced PEOPLE FMR 30 pay kickbacks to the authorities to UNHCR’s involvement. There is no stateless people, UNHCR should operate freely. Brokers who have doubt that Rohingya boat people be involved and, in collaboration been arrested are soon released. embark on these perilous journeys in with receiving countries, seek order to escape systematic oppression, appropriate solutions for them.
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