Kaladan News

Dated: July 25, 2003, Thu

Seven Rohingya Muslim Seek Refugees Status

Chittagong, July 25: Seven Rohingya Muslims from Burma climbed the perimeter fence into the compound of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) at Jalan Bukti Petaling there on 8^th July 2003 to demand refugee status, according to the New Straits Times of Malaysia.

It was the fifth such incident at the UNHCR. The seven men entered the compound at 6:30 pm and appealed to the UN to recognize them as refugees and provide them security.

It is learnt that some of them had applied to the UNHCR several times to grant them refugee status, but all their applications were rejected.

On June 29, about 150 Rohingyas from Burma and Acehnese from Indonesia congregated in front of the UNHCR premises to secure refugee status before the expiry of the amnesty period. Later, police arrested 19 Rohingyas after the UNHCR refused to grant them refugee status.

They had entered the UNHCR office and asked for refugee status because of fear of persecution if they were repatriated.

The seven Rohingyas were still inside the UNHCR compound and is not known their fate till writing of this report. ##

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