Description:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
"In 2007, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee began receiving
disturbing reports alleging the trafficking and extortion of Burmese
and other migrants in Malaysia and from Malaysia into Thailand,
for personal profit by some Malaysian Government officials,
among others. Committee staff conducted a year-long review of the
trafficking and extortion allegations.
The committee has an active interest in the treatment of Burmese
migrants in Malaysia. Many of the approximately 40,000
Burmese refugees who have resettled in the United States since
1995, have come via Malaysia.
Malaysia does not officially recognize refugees, due in part to
concern by the Government that official recognition of refugees
would encourage more people to enter Malaysia, primarily for economic
reasons. Also, Malaysian officials view migrants as a threat
to Malaysia?s national security...
Many Burmese migrants travel to Malaysia to register with the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), for resettlement
to a third country. Typically they profess fear of persecution
by the repressive Burmese military junta. Once in Malaysia,
Burmese migrants are often arrested by Malaysian authorities,
whether or not they have registered with the UNHCR and have
identification papers. Personal belongings confiscated at the time of
arrest are usually kept by Malaysian officials.
Burmese migrants are reportedly taken by Malaysian Government
personnel from detention facilities to the Malaysia-Thailand
border for deportation. Allegations received by the committee from
migrants, spanning years of personal experience, are similar to reports
issued by NGOs and human rights activists.
Upon arrival at the Malaysia-Thailand border, human traffickers
reportedly take possession of the migrants and issue ransom demands
on an individual basis. Migrants state that freedom is possible
only once money demands are met. Specific payment procedures
are outlined, which reportedly include bank accounts in
Kuala Lumpur to which money should be transferred.
The committee was informed that on some occasions, the attendance??
list reviewed by traffickers along the border was identical to
the attendance list read prior to departure from the Malaysian detention
facilities.
Migrants state that those unable to pay are turned over to
human peddlers in Thailand, representing a variety of business interests
ranging from fishing boats to brothels.
The committee has received numerous reports of sexual assaults
against Burmese women by human traffickers along the border.
One NGO official states that Most young women deported to the
Thai border are sexually abused, even in front of their husbands,
by the syndicates, since no one dares to intervene as they would
be shot or stabbed to death in the jungle.??...
Statements are continuing to come to the committee from Burmese
and other migrants who were taken to the Thailand-Malaysia
border and threatened with violence, or being handed over to
human traffickers unless extortion demands were met...
The allegations of mistreatment by Malaysian Government officials
and human trafficking syndicates in southern Thailand are
not restricted to Burmese migrants, including refugees. However,
the preponderance of complaints received by the committee are
from ethnic minority migrants who fled Burma..."
Source/publisher:
[US] Senate Committee on Foreign Relations ? 111th Congress
Date of Publication:
2009-04-03
Date of entry:
2009-04-24
Grouping:
- Individual Documents
Category:
Language:
English
Local URL:
Format:
pdf
Size:
113.24 KB