CRC Report 2012--Draft edited3-sample3 (Henze Intl Kareem's conflicted copy 2013 … · 2013-11-01 · CRC Annual Report 2012 ‐ Page 3 Preface CRC was founded on 13th February 2001

CRC Annual Report 2012 ‐ Page 2

TABLEOFCONTENTS

3 Preface

4 Figures

6 Abbrevia ons

7 Execu ve summary

8 What is CRC?

9 What makes me a refugee?

10 Why to Malaysia, not to India?

11 The Chin in Malaysia

12 Forma on & Focus

13 Chin Refugee Center

14 STRUCTURE OF CHIN REFUGEE COMMIT‐

TEE (CRC)

17 CHIN REFUGEE CENTER OFFICE OPERA‐

TION

19 Registra on Department

20 Informa on Department

22 Health Care Department

24 Protec on and Interven on Unit

26 Embassy and Mission Department

28 Women and Children Care Unit

29 Social & Public Rela on Unit

33 Coopera on and coordina on

35 CRC's volunteer staff

36 Ac vi es CRC Par cipated in

37 COMMUNITY SURVEYS

38 REGISTRATION UPDATES 2012

41 DETENTION REPORT

43 EMPLOYMENT INITIATIVES 2012

44 MEDICAL REPORTS

45 EMBASSY UNIT

46 Analysis of Community Com‐

ments and Opinions

47 Survey on Chin Refugee Based

Schools in Klang Valley Areas

49 Community Anxiety Survey

53 2012 Financial Report


Preface

CRCwasfoundedon13thFebruary2001amidstcountlessobstacles,dif iculties,hardshipsandfrustrations,andhasbeenassistingandreachingouttothousandsofChinrefugeesandasylumseekerseversince.Someofthecrucialworkwedoisliaisingwiththeof iceoftheUNHCRandinterveningforthereleaseoutofpolicecustodyandjailsacrossWestMalaysia.CRCisthemostorganizedandbestregardedrefugeebasedcommunityorganizationinMalaysiaduetotheex-erciseoftransparency,inclusiveness,fairnessandleadership.

CRChighlyappreciatestheparticipationofindividualsandcommunityleadersinthesurveys,assessmentand interviews that forms thebackboneof this report.This couldnothavebeenachievedwithouttheconcertedeffortsandsupportofallthosewhoparticipated.Thisreportisanexpandedandupdatedversionof the irstCRCannual reportpublished in January,2011.The information herein is to the best of our knowledge and information and data from ourcommunity survey is reproduced truthfully according to the information from those inter-viewedandassessed.

CRCthanksDr.GerhardHoffstaedter, lecturerattheUniversityofQueensland,forhelpingusproof-readingandediting.

CRCthanksthedesignerteamKareemShehadehandFatihTopakfromGermanyfordesigningthereport.Theyhavealsocommittedminimum1%oftheirpro itstosupporttheMyanmarrefugees.Theyinviteothercompaniestojoininthiscommitment.ForcoordinatingcompanyeffortstheycanbecontactedatShehadeh@Henze-Intl.com.

Note:ThisreportusesthecountrynamesofBurmaandMyanmarasitwaschangedbythemil-itary rulers in 1989 chronologically and without political connotations. The name(s) carrygreatsigni icanceformanypeoplewhoeithercontinuetocall thecountryBurmainrecogni-tion of pre-military coup statehood or do notwish to do so for the ethnic connotations thename‘Burma’carries.

SimonSangHre


Figures

Figure 1: Villagers from the Tedim township area in northern Chin State are forced to clear rocks a er a land‐slide, 2010 © CHRO .................................................................................................................................................8

Figure 2: Cross demoli ons, like this one in Mindat township, by the Burma's Ministry of Religious Affairs and Burmese soldiers are common in Chin state ..........................................................................................................9

Figure 3: map of refugee journeys from Chin state ............................................................................................. 10

Figure 4: male and female UNHCR unregistered asylum seekers by age ............................................................ 11

Figure 5: Male/female distribu on 2004‐ 2012 ................................................................................................... 12

Figure 6: 2012 male/female distribu ons ............................................................................................................ 12

Figure 7: CRC refugee center in Imbi ................................................................................................................... 13

Figure 8: CRC organiza onal structure ................................................................................................................. 14

Figure 9: votes are cast in the execu ve commi ee elec on 2012 ..................................................................... 15

Figure 10: informa on session with sub‐community leaders .............................................................................. 17

Figure 11: CRC opera onal departments ............................................................................................................. 17

Figure 12: CRC registra on department registering new members .................................................................... 18

Figure 13: CRC member card front and back ....................................................................................................... 19

Figure 14: Record book for new members ........................................................................................................... 19

Figure 15: CRC records ......................................................................................................................................... 21

Figure 16: ACTS mobile clinic in Cameron highlands with CRC staff .................................................................... 23

Figure 17: General hospital Kuala Lumpur with accompanied pa ent ................................................................ 23

Figure 18: Chin women and children care center ................................................................................................ 28

Figure 19: UNHCR IAD staff and Columbia University student Danielle Golden visi ng CRC in 2012 ................. 30

Figure 20: Community visit with CRC chairman ................................................................................................... 31

Figure 21: Funeral service .................................................................................................................................... 32

Figure 22: SGBV training session .......................................................................................................................... 34

Figure 23: CRC volunteer staff 2012‐2013 ........................................................................................................... 36

Figure 24: Gotong Royong clean up 2012 in Imbi ................................................................................................ 37

Figure 25: registra on/month 2012 ..................................................................................................................... 39

Figure 26: current CRC membership .................................................................................................................... 40

Figure 27: Map of West Malaysia ........................................................................................................................ 40

Figure 28: CRC members in Selangor ................................................................................................................... 41

Figure 29: members documented and undocumented ....................................................................................... 42

Figure 30: detained CRC members ....................................................................................................................... 42

Figure 31: Detainees released by CRC .................................................................................................................. 43

Figure 32: employment ini a ves ....................................................................................................................... 44

Figure 33: work site inspec on by the CRC employment unit ............................................................................. 44

Figure 34: hospital admissions ............................................................................................................................. 45

Figure 35: clinic appointments ............................................................................................................................. 46


Figure 36: embassy unit service provision ........................................................................................................... 47

Figure 37: community survey ‐ effec veness ....................................................................................................... 47

Figure 38: community survey – sa sfac on ......................................................................................................... 48

Figure 39: school a endance ............................................................................................................................... 50


Abbreviations

ACTS ACallToServe,localclinicprovidingmedicalservicesforrefugeesandasy-lumseekers,animplementingpartnerwithUNHCR

BID BestInterestDerivative

CBO CommunityBasedOrganization

CDU CommunityDevelopmentUnit,departmentofUNHCR

CHRO ChinHumanRightsOrganization

COBEM CoalitionofBurmaEthnicsinMalaysia

CRC ChinRefugeeCommittee

CSO ChinStudentOrganization

DHS DepartmentofHomelandSecurity—USImmigrationinterview

HEI HealthEquityInitiatives

IAD IndividualAssistanceDesk,departmentofUNHCR

IOM InternationalOrganizationforMigration

REG RegistrationdepartmentofUNHCR

RSC ResettlementSupportCenter

SGBV SexualandGenderBasedViolence

SPF SocialProtectionFunds, departmentofUNHCR

SUARAM Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Voice of the Malaysian People), MalaysianHumanRightsOrganization

Tzu-Chi Tzu-Chiclinicprovidingmedical treatmentandassistanceforrefugees,animplementingpartnerwithUNHCR

Tenaganita LocalNGOworkingformigrantrightsinMalaysia

UNHCR UnitedNationsHighCommissionerforRefugees


Executivesummary

ChinrefugeesformthelargestrefugeepopulationinMalaysiaunderUNHCRprotectionandmoreChinrefugeescontinueto leeMyanmarandtheongoingpersecutiontheyfacethere.ChinRefugeeCommittee(CRC)hasbeentheprimaryChinrefugeeorganizationinMalaysiasince2001providingtheUNHCRwithhelptoregisterrefugeesaswellasprovid-ingservicestoChinrefugeesrangingfromhealthwork,resettlementadvicetoeducation.ThisreportprovidescomprehensiveinformationaboutCRCoperationsinMalaysia,theinternalstructureofCRCandanassessmentofcommunityneedsandanxieties.

CRCstrivestodeliverexcellentservicetoitscommunityandmembersaswellasconformtothehigheststandardsoftransparency.ThisreportincludesvariousstatisticaldataaboutCRCmembership,itsmake-upandservicesprovidedaswellasa inancialstate-ment.



Chin Refugee Committee (CRC) is a com-munity-based organization working toprovide social services and promote theprotection of Chin refugees in Malaysia.CRC works closely with the United Na-tions High Commissioner for Refugees(UNHCR) of ice to assist and facilitatetheir operations in Kuala Lumpur andacrossMalaysia.

Whatmakesmearefugee?Inthe1950s,UNu,the irstPrimeMinisteroftheUnionofBurma,putforwardthediscriminatorypolicy of “One Race, One Religion.” Under thispolicy, Burma’s leaders promote one race (Burman), one language (Burmese), and one religion(Buddhism).Allotherraces,languages,andreligionsarebrutallysuppressed.Justi iedasanecessarymeanstouniteamulti-ethniccountry,inpracticethepolicyhasledtoincreasedhumanrightsviola-tionsandsevereabusesagainstBurma’sethnicnationalities,includingtheArakan,Chin,Kachin,Ka-ren,Karenni,MonandShan.

Actinginaccordancewiththispolicy,theChinpeopleinMyanmarfacepersecution,ethnicdiscrimi-nation,andreligiousrepressionatthehandsofthemilitaryregimeandtheMyanmarArmy.Forthepastseveraldecades,theregimehasbeensuccessfullyimplementingapolicyofethniccleansingbycommittingwidespreadandsystematichumanrightsviolationsagainsttheChinpeople.

Extra-judicialkillings,arbitraryarrestsanddetention,tortureandmistreatment,andotherextremeabusesarewell-documentedinChinState.TheMyanmarArmyalsousesforcedlaborandporteringtodisrupt the livesofChinvillagers.Chinmustwork longhours formanydayson labor-intensivegovernment projectswithout any compensation or basic provisions. Everymonth, Chin are calledupon by soldiers to build roads, army camps, barracks, etc.. No one is exempt from forced labor-pregnantwomen, children, theelderly, and the in irmedare all required to report for laborwhencalled.Thosewhorefusefacesevereconsequences,includingarrestandimprisonmentwithouttrial.

Topromotelucrativecash-crops,theregimeisincreasinglyorderingvillagerstoperformforcedla-boronteaandjatrophaplantations.Villagersarerequiredtoproduceacertainamountofplantsre-gardlessofthequalityofthesoilorharvestvariables.Tomakewayforsuchplantations,theArmypushesChinfarmersofftheirlandsandforcesvillagerstopurchasethenecessaryseedsandplants.

Inadditiontoforcedlabor, theMyanmarArmyalsoregularlycallsonvillagerstoworkasporters.Villagersare forced to carryheavy suppliesover longdistanceswithoutany compensation,provi-sions,orrest.Forcedportersmustcarryfoodrations,weapons,andothersuppliesfortheArmy.Por-tersmustwalk for several days through dense forestswith little time for rest.Mistreatment andabuseduringporterduties is commonandwide-spread,particularly forwomen.Similar to forcedlabor,thosewhofailtoreportforporterdutieswhencalledaresubjecttoseverepunishment.

Figure 1: Villagers from the Tedim township area in northern Chin State are forced to clear rocks after a landslide, 2010 © CHRO

WhatisCRC?


TheChinhavelongstruggledfortheirsurvivalatthehandsofMyanmar’smilitaryregime.Butwhensurvivalbecomesimpossible,theChinareforcedto leetheirhomes,land,andlivelihoodswiththehopeof indingsomeprotectionandsecurityabroad.Whenthishappens,theChinbecomerefugeesinplaceslikeMalaysia.

WhytoMalaysia,nottoIndia?

To Delhi

To Malay‐

Figure 1: Map of refugee journeys from Chin state

Figure 2: Cross demolitions, like this one in Mindat township, by the Burma's Ministry of Religious Af-fairs and Burmese soldiers are common in Chin state

Although more than 90 percent of Chin are devoutChristians, theChinarenot freetopracticetheirreli-gioninMyanmar.InaccordancewithUNu’s“onerace,one religion”policy,Christians face extremepersecu-tion in Myanmar. The regime is responsible for de-stroying churches, crosses, and other religious sym-bolsinChinState.Buildingandrepairingchurchstruc-turesisgreatlyrestricted.Pastorsarepreventedfromholdingpassportsand traveling freely.Preachingandholding religious gatherings is circumscribed. ChinlanguageBiblesareprohibitedandallChristianssufferintensediscriminationinMyanmar.

Many people raise the question, “why do Chin refugeescometoMalaysia,insteadofIndiaandThailand?”

The answermay seem complicated, but it is actually verysimple. In the 1990s, after nationwide protests of 1988 inBurma,manyChinpatriotsand leaders led thecountry toescapereprisalsbythejunta.Initially,they ledtoIndiaforsafety and received some protection. However, India’s ac-ceptanceofrefugeesfromMyanmarhaschanged.It isnowdif icult for Chin to go to India. As militarization has in-creased inChinState, travel ishighly restrictedwithin thestate.Itisparticularlydif icultanddangeroustotravelfromcertainareasofChinStatetoIndiaduetothelackofproperfootpaths and the existence of military camps along theroute.Forthisreason,insomeinstancesitiseasiertotraveltoRangoonandonwardtoMalaysiathantogothroughChinState.

Furthermore,toobtainprotectionfromUNHCRinIndia,theChinmust travelmore than 1,600 km from the border toDelhi-anarduousandcostlytrip.Aftermakingthisdif icultjourney, UNHCR-Delhi now offers very little protection toChinrefugees.Chinmustwaitmanyyearsforrecognitioninvery dif icult living conditions. Resettlement from Delhi isalso delayed as many Chin have been waiting more thannineyearsforanopportunitytoberesettled.


AsmostrefugeesinThailandarefromEasternMyanmar(e.g.,Karen,Karenni,Mon,Shan,etc.)andarelargelyhousedinrefugeecamps,ThailandisnotareasonableoptionforChinrefugees.TheChinareaverycommunalpeopleandonlyaverysmallcommunityofChinliveinThailand.Withoutsuchessentialcommunityties,survivalfortheChinisverydif icultinThailand.Inaddition,protectioninThailand forpeople fromMyanmar is limited to thosehoused in refugee camps locatedalong theThai-Myanmarborder.AstheChinshareverylittleincommonwithcurrentcampresidents,itwouldbedif icultfortheChinwhoareunfamiliarwiththelanguage,customs,andculturetojoinacamp.Furthermore, in Thailand refugees are at constant risk of potential deportation toMyanmar. ForChin,deportationtoMyanmarwouldresultinseriousconsequences.

FormanyyearsnowtheChinhavebeencomingtoMalaysiaandasaresultMalaysianowhostsalargecommunityofChin.Althoughlifeisdif icultfortheChininMalaysia,strongcommunitysupportstructuresandtheopportunityforprotectionfromUNHCRmakesitpossiblefortheChintosurviveinMalaysia.

TheChininMalaysia

According to the latest UNHCR figures from October 2012 of the 91,520 registered refu‐gees from Myanmar, 33,270 are Chin, form‐ing the largest refugee popula on in penin‐sula Malaysia. The Chin are predominantly Chris an with over 90% subscribing to a Chris an denomina on. In Malaysia Chin are grouped into denomina onal and tribal sub‐communi es, depending on their home vil‐lage/tribal affilia on and Chris an denomi‐na on. Most are part of Chris an fellowships that are distributed across Malaysia. Mem‐bers a end Sunday church gatherings to a end the service, welcome new members and exchange news. There are around 25 fellowship based churches in Malaysia. Many Chin sub‐communi es overlap with fellowship churches and form the grassroots organiza on for Chin in Malaysia.

The majority of Chin who arrive in Malaysia to seek refuge are young adults. The figure below shows a limited data set of male and female asylum seekers who are unregistered with the UNHCR at the me they registered with CRC. The horizontal axis shows the age of applicants and the ver cal axis the number of applicants. Despite this limita on it signals that the majority of Chin asylum seekers are in their mid to late 20s and early 30s.

Figure 2: male and female UNHCR unregistered asylum seekers by age


Since2004,whencomprehensivedatabegantobecollectedbyCRC,morethan iftythousandChinhaveregisteredwithCRC.Ofthesethevastmajority(71%)ismale,with29%female.

Figure 3: Male/female distribution 2004- July 2012

However,thistrendischangingasinthe irst6monthsof2012anincreaseinfemaleapplicantswasrecorded,nowforming38%ofCRCnewmembersandincreasing.

Figure 4: Jan-July 2012 male/female distribution

Formation&Focus

TheChinRefugeeCommittee(CRC)wasfoundedin2001inKualaLumpurtoassistChinrefugeesintheirpursuitofsafetyandprotection.Before2001,ChinrefugeesstruggledinMalaysiawithoutanyrelationshipwith theUnitedNationsHighCommissioner forRefugees (UNHCR) inKualaLumpur.With assistance from the Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO), Chin asylum-seekers irst ap-proachedUNHCRinFebruary2001.Atthistime,therewaslittleawarenessabouttheproblemstheChinpeoplefaceinMyanmarandtheseinitialattemptsforrecognitionandprotectionfromUNHCRwereunsuccessful.

Despiteinitialdif iculties,CRCperseveredtobringattentiontotheplightoftheChininMalaysia.Bytheendof2002,CRChaddevelopedintoawell-organizedandeffectivecommitteededicatedtoim-provingthesituationoftheChininMalaysia.AsUNHCRgainedagreaterunderstandingabouttheChinandtheirneedforprotectioninMalaysia,therecognitionrateofChinrefugeesimproved.CRCnowworkscloselywithUNHCRtoadvocateonbehalfoftheChincommunity.CRCalsoactsasanim-portant


intermediarybetweentheChincommunityandlocalMalaysiannongovernmentalorganizations,for-eignembassies,andtheMalaysianauthorities.

InadditiontoensuringtheChincommunityhasaccesstoUNHCRprocedures,CRCalsoprovidesavariety of humanitarian relief and social services tomembersof theChin community inMalaysia.CRCconductsoutreachonallcommunityissuesandstandsasapillaroftheChincommunity.CRCimplementsandsupportsprogramsonhealth,education,security,informationawareness,andcul-turalactivities.ThecommitteeisrunonavoluntarybasisbycommunityserviceprovidersandtheoperationsofCRCareoverseenbyanexecutivecommittee.

ChinRefugeeCenter

TheChinRefugeeCenterwasestablishedon13thFebruary2001inordertoimprovethecapacityofCRCvolunteersinMalaysiaandtoprovideabaseforthecommittee’soperations.Thecenterislocat-edat11C,Jln.KhooTeikEe,OffJln.Imbi,55100KualaLumpur.

Figure 5: CRC refugee center in Imbi

ThecenterservesnotonlyasacommunitycenterbutisalsoashelterforCRCvolunteersandmem-bersoftheChincommunityinneedofrefuge.ThecenterisalsothemaintransitpointforChinswhohaverecentlyarrivedinMalaysia,thosewhohaverecentlyreturnedtoKualaLumpurafterbeingde-portedtotheThaiborder,andthosewhoaretemporarilyinKualaLumpurformedicaltreatmentortoattendanappointmentwithUNHCR.

Since2004,CRCalsosupportsasafehouseforwomenandchildren.Thesafehouseprovidestempo-raryaccommodationandhumanitariansupporttowomenandchildrenwhoarestrugglingfortheirsurvivalinMalaysia.Thesafehousecanaccommodateuptothreefamiliesatonetimeandresiden-cyislimiteduptothreemonths.


StructureofChinRefugeeCommittee(CRC)Chin Refugee Committee (CRC) is a community-based organization, which provides services forChinasylumseekersandrefugeesresidinginMalaysia.CRChas18full-timevolunteerstaffaswellasafewpart-timevolunteers.CRCisdividedintotwodepartments:theadministrativedepartmentandprogramworkdepartment.TheadministrativedepartmentismanagedandstaffedbytheCRCExecutiveCommitteewhilsttheprogramworkdepartmentislargelymanagedandstaffedbyvol-unteers.

CRCDelegates

CRC delegates assist in the administration of CRC’s programs. There are 32 CRC delegateswhoserveasrepresentativesofChinsub-communities.Thesedelegatesaretaskedtodisseminateinfor-mationprovidedby theCRCof ice to his/her own community. They attend the generalmeetingwhich is called theGeneralAssembly, aswell as emergencymeetings.Theyplay a vital role intermsofinformationdisseminationfortheCRCof ice.

Figure 6: CRC organizational structure


ExecutiveCommittee(EC)

ECisthemainadministrativedecision-makerforCRCandthebodyiscomposedof17memberselectedfromthe32memberCRCdelegates.Accordingtoby-laws,theCRCcoordinatorandmedicalcoor-dinatorareautomaticallyECmembers,whichmeanthereare19ECmembersintotal.ECisrespon-siblefordesignatingtheECof icebearers,includingachairman,vicechairman,secretary,andas-sistantsecretary.Thechairmanandsecretaryarechosentobeof icebearersalongwithcoordina-torandmedicalcoordinator.

ThemainroleoftheECistooverseealltheadministrativefunctionsofCRCandensureitsopera-tionsarerun inaccordancewith itsconstitutionandby-laws.ECalsoworksonbudgetplanning,workplanning,reviewingCRCby-laws,andoverseeingthedailyof icemanagement.ECmeetingsareheldonceamonth.Whenemergencymeetingsarecalled,bothECmembersanddelegatesareinvited.

Figure 7: votes are cast in the executive committee election 2012

Of iceBearers(OB)

OBmembersarethechairman,secretary,coordinator,andmedicalcoordinator.Theyserveasfull-timestafftorepresentandperformthekeyfunctionswithinCRC.Also,theysupervisethedailyac-tivitiesrunbythevolunteerstaff.Theyhavetheright,permittedbyby-laws,tospeakforCRCandtomakeimmediatedecisionswithregardstotheof icemanagementwhenurgentlynecessary.


CommunityContactPersons

ChinasylumseekersandrefugeesinMalaysiaarescatteredacrossthecountry.Itisextremelydif i-culttoreacheveryChinrefugeeswhoresidesinremoteareasofdifferentstates.Forthisparticularreason,CRCmobilizescontactpersonsfortheirrespectiveareas(sub-communities)forinformationdissemination purposes. On a regular basis information from these sub-communities is collectedandCRCkeepstheminformedoftherefugeeconditionsinMalaysia. Inaddition,CRCworkstoen-suretheChincommunitieshaveaccesstoimportantinformation,suchastheUNHCRprocessesandresettlementprogram.CRCcommunitycontactpersonsareessentialpartnerstoensureinformationisproperlyrelayedtotheircommunities.

A bi-weekly newsletter is published and distributed to them. CRC relies on their collaboration inindingandcontactingChin refugees,whoare requested for interviewsandmedicalexamsby theUNCHRof ice,Resettlement SupportCenter (RSC)department runby IRC for theUS resettlementprogramandIOMdepartment.Astheresettlementprocessisongoing,contactpersonschangefromtimetotime.

Cooperationbetweeneachofthedepartmentsandcommunitylevelsisintegraltoprovidingrelevantservicesandinformationtoourmembers.

OneofthemostimportantfunctionsofCRCistocollectanddistributeinformationtotheChincom-munitieslocatedacrossMalaysia.Informationfromthecommunitiesiscollectedsystematicallyandinsuf icientdetailinordertoassistinCRC’swork.Inaddition,CRCworkstoensuretheChincom-munitieshaveaccessto important information,suchastheUNHCRregistrationprocess.CRCcom-munitycontactpersonsareessentialpartners toensure information isproperlycollectedanddis-tributedtoChincommunities.

CRChashundredsofcontactpersons locatedallaroundMalaysia, representingall theChinethnicsub-groups. The exact number of CRC contact persons depends on the location and ethnicities ofChincommunities,whichvariesfromtimetotime.Contactpersonsareprimarilychosenbythecom-munitiesthemselves.Insomeinstances,contactpersonsareappointedbytheEC.CRCcontactper-sonsserveasvolunteerstorepresenttheirparticularcommunities.


Figure 8: information session with sub-community leaders

CHINREFUGEECENTEROFFICEOPERATIONTheCRCof icedependsonthevolunteercontributionsandservicesofitsfull-timestaffanditsop-erationsareconductedinawaytopreserveandpromoteprinciplesofmutualrespect.Dutiesaredistributed among staff in accordance with personal talents and interests. Each volunteer is re-quiredtoundergoathoroughpre-screeningandtrainingprogramforseveralmonthsbeforecom-mencingservice.CRCstaffsarenotpaidbutareprovidedwithamonthlyallowancefortheirlivingexpenses.WorkingwithCRC is considered a community service and anopportunity to serve theChin people- it should be viewed as a privilege, not a right. Participation of all Chin sub-ethnic

groups is strongly encouragedandprioritized.CRCdoesnotdis-criminate in terms of ethnicity,economic differences, or educa-tional backgrounds among itsvolunteers.

Intermsofservice,thefollowingdepartments re lect the scope ofwork that CRC is actively en-gagedin:

Registration Department

Information Department

Outreach and Protection Intervention Department

Healthcare Department

Embassy & Mission Unit

Office Management Unit

Women and Children Care Unit

Social and public relation Unit

Employment Unit

Figure 9: CRC operational departments


RegistrationDepartment

CRCwelcomeseveryChinrefugeeinneedofas-sistance and protection. Every person who re-portstoCRCisabletoregisterandreceiveaCRCcard,recognizingthemasarefugeeinMalaysia.CRCdoesnotdiscriminateonanybasis, includ-ingrace, religion,ethnicity,etc.EveryChinper-sonseekingasylumandprotectioninMalaysiaiseligibleforCRCmembership.CRChasbeenreg-isteringChinrefugeessince2001.AsofDecem-ber2012,54,000Chinrefugeeshaveregisteredwith CRC. In the irst six months of 2012, thenumberofnewarrivals reachedmore thanonethousand,which implies that the current situa-

tioninMyanmarcontinuestobeunsafefortheChinpeople.

CRCcard

TheCRCcardidenti iestheholderasarefugeeoftheChinethnicgroupfromMyanmar.Thecardisrecognizedbyemployersandauthorities inMalaysiaaswellasbytheUNHCR.CRC’s logoisatthetop-left corner followedby thewords “ChinRefugeeCommittee”andCRC’saddress.Personalbio-data,suchastheCRC ilenumber,name,dateofbirth,sexandnationalityarealsorecordedonthecard.Thecardhastoberenewedonceayearinaccordancewiththeexpirationdate.Aphotoofthecardholder is locatedat the left-center.At thebottom, thenatureandscopeofworkof theCRC isbrie lydescribed.

Ontheoppositesideofthecard,thecerti icationoftheholderandtheorganizationisdescribedbothinEnglishandinMalay.Theof icecontactnumberofCRCandUNHCRarepublicizedandisaccom-paniedbyanauthorizationsignatureof theCRCcoordinator.Thecoordinator is the individual re-sponsibleforCRCanditswork.ThecardisprintedonPVCcardtopreserveitsintegrityfortheperi-odofvalidity.

Figure 10: CRC registration department registering new

Figure 11: CRC member card front and back


RecordBook

Since2004,CRChasbeenkeepingrecordbooksforregistration.Threetypesofrecordbooksareused:onefornewregistrationrecords,oneforrenewedrecordsandoneforprotectionpapers.Inthenewrecordbookpersonaldataliketheapplicant’sname,parent’snames,dateofbirth,dateofarrival,nameofvillageinMyanmar,andaddressinMalaysiaandpassportphotoarerecorded.Thishardcopyrecordisalsoconvertedtosoftcopyandsavedonacomputer ile.

Figure 12: Record book for new members

ProtectionDocumentAprotectiondocumentforCRCcardholdersispreparedformemberswhoarealreadyregisteredwiththeof iceoftheUNCHRbutintheprocessofincludingtheirfamilymembers.ThedocumentiswritteninMalay(Bahasa)andistheretohelpthemprovideprotectionandsecurity,forexampleincasetheygetstoppedbythepoliceorcaughtupinanimmigrationraid.Thedocumentincludesin-formationabouttheunregisteredfamilymembersandthemainapplicant(spouse)alongwithpho-tographsofeachfamilymemberandsomebiodata.Everynewarrivalisurgedtocompletethepro-tectiondocumentpaperanditisissuedtoeveryinterestedindividualasa irstlayerofprotection.


InformationDepartment

InformationiskeyandthebackboneofCRCservices.Theof icehastocollectinformationindividual-lyorcollectively.Mostoftheinformationcollectedneedstobedistributedtoitsmembersacrossthecountry.CRChasconsistentlymaintainedproperrecordsdetailinginformationrelevanttotheChincommunityinMalaysia.Inparticular,CRCmaintainsrecordspertainingtoOutreach,Protection,andIntervention(OPI).TheserecordsprovidedetailsonthearrestofChinrefugees,RELAraids,andthereleaseofdetainees.ThisinformationisbasedoninformationreportedtoCRC.WhenCRCreceivesareportofanarrest,CRC irstinformsUNHCRandrequeststhemtointerveneonbehalfofthedetain-ee.UNHCRistheninformedofacourtdateandtheyareabletointervenetopreventChinrefugeesfromreceivingpenalties,suchascanings.Insomeinstances,UNHCRisabletoobtainthereleaseofdetainees.TheOPIrecordsincludeinformationaboutthetypeofdetention,genderofthedetainee,childdetainees,releaseinformation,deportation,canings,andotherinformationreportedtoUNHCR.

BesidethatUNHCR,RSCandOIMarereliedonCRCforcontactingunreachableapplicantsfortheirrespective interview.CRC informationdepartment is thebusiestdepartment inCRC function.Thisdepartment is vital in distributing information lea lets about health, education opportunities andemploymentoffersandsecurityissues.Itwasdistributedfree.WhenChinrefugeeisregisteredwithUNHCR,he/shehastodoaroundthreeto iveinterviewsuntilhe/shewasresettledtothirdcountry.

RecordKeeping

Since2001,CRChasbeenkeepingregistrationrecords.Thenewmemberrecordbookincludesper-sonaldatalikeaperson’sname,parent’snames,dateofbirth,dateofarrival,addressinMyanmar,address inMalaysiaandpassportphoto.Thishardcopy record isalso converted to soft copyandsavedonanAccessdatabaseonacomputerdrive.


OtherimportantrecordskeptbyCRCare:

Detaineerecord(Male)

Detaineerecord(Female)

Releaserecord(Male/Female)

Hospitalizationsrecord

Othermedicalrecords

Deceasedrecords

Unaccompaniedminorrecord

Unaccompaniedelderlypersonrecord

Caningvictimsrecord

Generalinformation(immediatefollowup)

ShelterResidencerecord

RecognizedrefugeeList

DS(DerivativeStatus)rejectlist

Missions’rejectedlist

Unrecognizedrefugeelist

Communitylist

Employmentinitiativelist

Program&Traininglist

TheserecordsformavitalpartofthehistoryofandbearwitnesstotheChinRefugeestruggleinMa-laysia. When resettled refugees require their particulars for various purposes in third countries,theserecordsareveryhelpfulforChinrefugees.

Figure 13: CRC records


HealthCareDepartment

TheChinrefugeepopulationisthelargestinpeninsularMalaysia.Nearly85%ofthepopulationlivesinsmallapartmentssharedwithrelatives, friends,andotherfamilies.This isduetothe lackofaf-fordablehousing incleaner,betterenvironments.Theoverpopulationofpeople incloseproximitygiveswaytocommunicablediseasesthatarequicklyspreadthroughoutthecommunity.RefugeesinMalaysiaareclassi iedasa“vulnerablepopulation”anddeemedeconomicallydisadvantaged,unin-sured,andlow-income.

Health-careproblemsintersectwithsocialfactors.Approximately85%oftheChinrefugeepopula-tionmayberegardedasilliterate.Lackofaffordablehousing,poverty,inadequateeducation,andun-employmentcreatesevereanxietyamongrefugeecommunities.

Accordingtomedicalrecords,Chinrefugeessuffermostlyfromdenguefever,malaria,tuberculosis,kidneyproblems,hydrocephalus,cerebralvascularconditions,meningitisandHIV/AIDS.TheCRCisunableto inanciallyassistpatientswhoarehospitalizedandsickatclinics.Thehealthcaredepart-mentstaffistaskedwithassistingthosewhoareinneedoftranslationatclinicsandhospitalsandtakingdoctors’memo.

TheMedicalcoordinatorworksdailyandoverseesthisdepartmentalongwithtwoassistants.Theymainlyaccompanypatientstoclinicsandhospitalstotranslateandacquirethedoctor’smemosnec-essarytoseekfurtherassistancefromtheUNHCR.TheMedicalcoordinatorisinregularcontactwithmanyhospitalsinSelangortoassistwithmedicalbillpaymentandarrangeadditionalreferralsforpatients.

InconjunctionwithFellowship-basedChurches,smalldonationsaremadetowardsthepatientcosts.TheCRChasassistedmorethan150patientsinclinicsandhospitals.ThisdepartmentalsorecordsthenumberofdeathsasCRCisplaysavitalroleinreleasingdeadbodiesfromhospitalsandassist-ingwithburials.

ThisdepartmentactsasaliaisonbetweenChinrefugeepatients,theUNHCR,andthemedicalcoordi-nator.ThepurposeistodeliverpatientinformationtotheUNHCRandassistwithon-goingpatientneeds.

Thoseseeking inancialassistancewithserioushealthcasessuchasTBorHIV/AIDSaredirectlyre-ferredtotheIAD(IndividualAssistanceDesk)departmentattheof iceoftheUNHCR.Dependingonthetypeofcase,somereferralsaremadetothetwoUNHCRhealthservicesimplementingpartnersACTSclinicandTzu-chiclinic.

Additionally,thisdepartmentalsofacilitatesamobilecliniconceeverytwomonthswithACTSintheCameronHighlands,wheremore than1600Chinrefugees reside.Thesemobile clinicsarevitalastheyareabletoreachhundredsofChinrefugeeslivinginremoteplacestoprovidethemwithmedi-calassistance.Lea letscontainingbasicmedicalknowledgearealsodistributed.


Figure 14: ACTS mobile clinic in Cameron highlands with CRC staff

HospitalVisit

TheCRCvolunteersvisitpatientsinhospitalsalmosteveryday.Typically,thestaffssplitintotwoorthreegroupstovisitasmanyhospitalsaspossible.ThevisitsarescheduledfromMonday-Fridaybe-tweenthehospitalhours.Evenso,thereareoftencallsreceivedonweekendsregardingemergencymatters,accidentsanddeaths.CRCrecordseachpatient’ssituationinordertomakeafullreporttotheUNHCRandalsooffersfurther inancialassistanceasneeded.

Figure 15: General hospital Kuala Lumpur with accompanied patient


Anxietyfactors:

(1)Undocumentedasylumseekers(i.e.notyetregisteredwiththeof iceofUNHCR)arechargedattheforeignrateinMalaysianclinicsandhospitals,whichmeanstheyhavetopaydoubletherateofregisteredrefugees.

(2)Similarly,motherswhoareyettoberegisteredwiththeof iceoftheUNHCRundertheirspouseshavetopaythehigherratesforbabydeliveriesatthehospital.

(3)Althoughrecognizedrefugeesenjoyreducedforeignerrates,thecostsstillputanenormous i-nancialstrainonthemandtheirfamilies,especiallyininstancesoflongtermseriousillnessandinju-ry.

(4) UNHCR is unable to provide immediate assistance for the undocumented asylum seekers intermsofemergencymattersathospitals.

ProtectionandInterventionUnit

Malaysiaisnotasignatorycountryofthe1951conventionrelating to the Status of Refugees.Thusar-restanddetentionforbeingundocumentedmigrantsaccordingtotheMalaysianImmigrationActisthebiggestproblemwearefacingonadailybasis.SinceCRCwasformedwehavehelpedmorethan2000refugeestogetreleasedfromlocalpolicelockup.However,aswearenotalegalorganizationourinterventionislimitedtoournetworksandourlocalarea.Incaseofarrest,the irststepforthearresteeistoinformCRCandtoprovideuswiththefollowinginformation:

Wherehe/shewasarrested

Whoisinvolvedinthearrest(Rela/Police/Immigration)

Whereshe/hewastakento.

His/Herbodynumber(Detentioncenter/campnumber)

Dateofarrest

Assoonaswegetthisbasic information,CRCvolunteerswillcalltherelevantauthorityandtrytoconvincetheauthoritythatthearresteeisarefugeewholeftthecountryinfearofpersecutionandisinneedofhelpfromthelocalauthority.Oftenwecansecureanimmediaterelease. Insomecases,CRCcannotgetdirectly involvedandwehavetoseekhelp fromUNHCR‘sOPI team.ChinrefugeesarescatteredacrosstheMalaysianpeninsulaandthisteamworks24/7.Dailyarrestsandweekendraidskeepthisunitbusyallyearround.

Inaddition,thisdepartmentinformstheUNHCRofthearrestee’sstatusandplaceofdetentionand,ifapplicable,theircourtdate.ThisinformationisusefulfortheUNHCRandrelevantmissionsforinter-vening.


Therearemorethan(43)detentioncampsanddetentioncentersacrossMalaysia.Theyare:

NameofCamp Location

1.PenjaraPokokSena, Kedah

2.AlorSetar Kedah

3.SungaiPetani Kedah

4.DepotTahananPatiBelantik Kedah

5.SungaiBoluh Selangor

6.PenjaraKajang Selangor

7.WanitaKajang Selangor

8.PatiSemenyih Selangor

9.SerembanNegeriSembilan Seremban

10.PerlindunganTaiping Perak

11.PenjaraTaiping Perak

12.Tapah Perak

13.AkhalakBatuGajah Perak

14.PatiLankap Perak

15.DadahJelebu NegeraSembilan

16.PatiLanggeng NegeriSembilan

17.PenjaraBandahilir Melaka

18.DatoMurad Melaka

19.HenryGurneyTelokmas Melaka

20.PatiManchapUmbo Melaka

21.AkhlakMuar Jahor

22.SimpangRenggam Jahor

23.PenjaraKluang Jahor

24.PatiPekanNenas Jahor

25.PenjaraPaulauPinang Pinang

26.TahananPatiJuru Pinang

27.PatiKemayan Pahang

28.PenjaraPenor Pahang

29.PenjaraMarang Terengganu

30.PatiAjil Terengganu

31.PerempuanKotaKinabalu Sabah

32.PusatKotaKinabalu Sabah

33.Keninganu Sabah

34.PenjaraTawau Sabah

35.PenjaraSandaka Sabah

36.PusatKuching Sarawak

37.PusatMiri Sarawak

38.PenjaraLimbang Sarawak


39.PusatSibu Sarawak

40.PatiSemuja Sarawak

41.PuastSariAman Sarawak

42.PatiTanahMerah Kelantan

43.PengkalanChepa Kelantan

Further,thisunitkeepsrecordsonarrestsanddetention.TheserecordsprovidedetailsonthearrestofChinrefugees,RELAraids,andthereleaseofdetainees.ThisinformationisbasedoninformationreportedtoCRC.WhenCRCreceivesareportofanarrest,CRC irstinformstheUNHCRandrequeststhemtointerveneonbehalfofthedetainee.UNHCRisinformedofacourtdatesothatitisabletointervenetopreventChinrefugeesfromreceivingpenalties,suchas inesandcanings.Insomein-stances,UNHCRisabletoobtainthereleaseofdetainees.TheOPIrecordsincludeinformationaboutthetypeofdetention,genderofthedetainee,childdetainees,releaseinformation,deportation,can-ings,andinformationreportedtoUNHCR.

EmbassyandMissionDepartment

Malaysiaisnotasignatorycountrytothe1951UNConventionRelatingtotheStatusofRefugeesandthereforedoesnotrecognizerefugees.ThispresentsoneofthebiggestchallengesfortheChincom-munity,whetherdocumentedorundocumented,asitmeansMalaysiadoesnotaffordChinrefugeesprotectionandsecurity.Arrest,detention,deportation,andharassmentbytheMalaysianauthoritiesareacommonthreatforallChinlivinginMalaysia.HundredsofChin,includingUNHCR-recognizedrefugees,arearrestedeveryyear.DeportationstotheThaiborderhappeneduntil2008becauseofthelackofanylegalstatusofChinrefugeesinMalaysia.Whenarrested,Chinrefugeesareatriskofseverepenalties,includingcanings,forenteringMalaysiawithoutdocuments.Indetentionfacilities,Chinalsofaceharassmentandphysicalabusebyguards.Until2008,whenChinweredeportedtotheborder,theywerealsosoldtoagentswhorequiredlargesumsofmoneytotransportthembacktoKualaLumpur.ThecommunityreportedthatthosewhowereunabletopaythemoneydemandedbyagentswereatriskofbeingsoldtoThai ishingboatsorintothesexindustryinThailand.

WithoutanyprotectioninMalaysia,resettlementtoathirdcountryistheonlyoptiontolivealifeoffreedomandsecurity.Inthisregard,theChinRefugeeCommittee(CRC)workscloselywithUNHCRandvariousembassiesofcountriesthatacceptChinrefugees.Inparticular,CRCworkswiththefol-lowing embassies to assist in thepaperwork andprocessingofChin refugees eligible for resettle-ment:

USmission(RSC&DHS)&USEmbassy

AustralianHighCommission

RoyalNorwayEmbassy

RoyalDenmarkEmbassy.


USmission

TheUSisthelargestresettlementcountryforrefugeesandisthebiggestmissioninMalaysia.Until2012,theUSaccepteddozensofthousandrefugeesfromMalaysia,amajorityofwhichwereChin.InordertobeacceptedintotheUSmission,refugeesarerequiredtopasstwointerviews:

ResettlementSupportCenter(RSC)Interviewand

DepartmentOfHomelandSecurity(DHS)Interview

TheRSCinterviewistypicallythelongerofthetwointerviews.RSChelpspreparethedetailsofanapplicant'scase,whichisthensenttoDHSforreview.RSChasnodecision-makingpower.OncetheRSCinterviewiscomplete,theapplicantiscontactedforaninterviewwithDHS.DHScon irmsthedetailsofanapplicant’scaseandprovidestheultimatedecision.

CRC helpsRSC andDHSby contacting applicantswho are un-contactable acrossMalaysia and in-formingthemtoattendtheinterviewontime.CRCalsohelpstosupport,encourageandprepareap-plicants for the interview.Mostpeopledonotknowabout theprocess and requirements, suchasdocumentsetc.,andCRCprovidessomeguidancethroughthisoftenalienandarduousprocess.

Whencasesarerejected,CRCalsohelpsapplicantstoprepareappeals.AsChinrefugeesarelargelyfromremote,ruralareasandareoften less-educatedoreven illiterate, theymayhavedif iculty todescribe their experiences during the interview.Many face intense scrutiny from themission forsmalldiscrepanciesbetween theRSCandDHS interviews. In suchcases,CRC reviews the reasonswhytheyaredeniedandprovidesassistanceinwritinglettersofappeal.

USEmbassy

Beginningin2009,CRCisassistingintheprocessingof93VisaswiththeAmericanEmbassyinKualaLumpur.The93visaallowsforfamilyreuni icationwhenonefamilymemberisalreadyresettledintheUnitedStates.AsmanyChinareunabletoobtainUNHCRregistration,thisvisaoptionisanim-portantalternative foreligibleChinapplicants inMalaysia.Through thisprocess, anapplicant canbypasstheUNHCRandapplydirectlythroughtheUSEmbassy.AlthoughtheprocessisinitiatedintheUS,CRCiscurrentlyhelpingeligiblefamilymembersinMalaysiatocompleteandsubmitthenec-essaryforms.


AustraliaHighCommission

TheAustralianHighCommissionisthesecondlargestmissionthatacceptsChinrefugeesfromMa-laysiaeveryyear.Onaverage,theyresettleapproximately400to600Chinrefugeeseveryyearuntil2011.Thesenumbersmayincreasefrom2012astheAustraliangovernmentisresettling4000refu-gees over 4 years fromMalaysia beginning in 2012. After the resettlement interview at UNHCR,manycasesarereferredtotheAustralianmissionforafurtherinterview.CRCvolunteershelpcon-tact applicants to inform them to complete thenecessary formsand towrite theirpersonal state-ments.

CRCalsoinformstheHighCommissionwhenapersonofconcerntotheembassyisarrestedandde-tained.OnoccasiontheHighCommissionisabletointerveneinsuchcases.

OtherMissions

OthermissionssuchasNorway,Denmark,Sweden,NewZealandandCanadaarealsoresettlingrefu-geestotheircountriesthroughtheUNHCR.Inthesecases,CRCaccompaniesChinapplicantstovari-ousembassiesandassistsapplicantsinwhateverwaynecessary.CRCstrivestoassistChinrefugeesintheseadministrativematters,especiallybearinginmindthevasteducationalresourcesrequiredto illoutandcompletecomprehensivevisaandotherof icialforms.

WomenandChildrenCareUnitEstablishedon9th June2007, this isanexpandingprogram inresponse tosocialwelfare issuesofvulnerablepopulationswhoarevictimsofsexualandgenderbasedviolence.CRCrunsashelterthathas housed ten families in 2012 including one non-Chin family who was referred by the CDU(CommunityDevelopmentUnit)departmentoftheUNHCRof ice.Duetospacelimitations,itispri-marilyusedfortemporaryshelterexceptinseriouscases,whenlongerstaysarenecessary.

HistoricalBackground

Sinceitsfoundingin2007,morethanonehundredpeoplehavebeentakencarebythisShelterpro-gram.CRCprincipallyacceptsChinrefugeesandasylumseekers.However,after2010,italsohostedsomenon-ChinsupontherequestoftheUNHCRof ice.Themajorityofshelterresidentsaresinglemothersleftbytheirspouses,widows,thosenewlyreleasedfromimmigrationdetentioncentersandjail, unaccompaniedminors andwomen affected by SGBV (Sexual and Gender Based Violence). Ifthoseshelteredhaverelativesandfriends,theof icemakeseveryefforttorelocatethem.Sofar,mostrelativesandfriendshavebeensupportiveintakingthemin.Theof iceacceptsthosewithreferralsmadebycommunitynameand theUNHCR.Nooutsidersareallowedto interviewandmeet thoseshelteredforsecurityreasons.

Theshelterisdesignedtoprovidesecurityandprotectiontovulnerableasylumseekersandrefugeesandprovidesasafehavenforthoseatrisk.Thisdepartmentisdesignedtomaintaintheutmostcon-identialityandassiststhosebywayofreferral,primarilyfromtheUNHCR.Acceptanceand inancialsupportofindividualsisbasedonathoroughassessmentoftheirneeds.


TheUNHCRSocialProtectionFund(SPF)departmentprovidessmallgrantsofuptoRM6,000,whichismainlyusedforfood.TheRM200permonthrentisfundedbytheUNHCRCDU(CommunityDevel-opment Unit) department, amounting to RM2,400 in total/year. The overall yearly budget some-timesexceedsRM22,000.Thebudgetdoesnotincludeexpensesformedicaltreatment.Thisfarex-ceedsearly iscalprojectionsandisalsosubjecttochangewithregardtotheneedswithinthecom-munity.

Additionally,theCRCsheltersandtakescareofindividualswithmedicalproblems.Medicaldepart-mentstaffassistsshelterresidentsandaccompaniesthemtoclinicsandhospitals.Additionally,theCRCprovides inancialassistanceformedicalbills.

RefugeesandasylumseekersinMalaysiaaredisadvantagedandmarginalized,butthoseinourshel-tersareamongthemostunfortunate,disadvantagedandmarginalized.

Social&PublicRelationUnit

ThisunitaimstoextendthescopeofCRC'sworkinsub-communitiesandliaisewiththemediaandvisitors.Itcoversmanyareasofwork.

Visitors&Guests

Inthetwelveyearsof itsexistence, theCRChasbeenblessedwithmanyvisitors fromallovertheworld.MostofthesevisitorsareNGOswhohelptherefugeesandfocusonmigrantworkers,humanrights,andmediainformation.TheCRChasalsohostedjournalists,researchers,writers,historians,UNHCRof icers,Embassies,missionsanddonors.

TheCRCbelievesthatvisitorsplayavitalroleinraisingawarenessonaninternationallevelinawaythatwouldbedif iculttodootherwise.TheCRCisthankfulforvisitorsthatcontinuetoadvocateforrefugeesandasylumseekersandpetitiontheMalaysianauthorities.

Figure 16: Chin women and children care center


Figure 17: UNHCR IAD staff and Columbia University student Danielle Golden visiting CRC in 2012

CommunityVisits

WhenCRCvolunteersvisitcommunitiestheyassesscommunityneeds.TheCRCstaff,volunteers,andsometimesECmembersvisitChinrefugeecommunitiesthroughoutMalaysiainordertoprovideup-datedinformationaboutUNHCRpoliciesandprograms.Additionally,informationregardingtheMa-laysiangovernment’sactivitieswithrefugees,medicalaccess,education,protectionissues,resettle-mentavailabilityandothersaredisseminated.ThesevisitsserveashighlyeducationalopportunitiesforvolunteersandallowthemtogainaclearunderstandingoftheneedsversustheCRC’sabilitytoful illthem.

Additionally,theCRCtakeseveryopportunitytoeducaterefugeecommunitiesabouttheirresponsi-bilitytorespectthelocalMalaysiansandhonortheMalaysiancultures.TheCRCpromotesharmoni-ous,integratedlifestylestoallrefugeecommunitiesthroughoutMalaysia.

A focus on Selangor includes these areas that are densely populatedwithChin refugees:Ampang,Cheras, JalanIpoh,LokeYew,Maluri(Cheras),Puchong,SubangJaya,SungaiBuloh,Seremban,andKajang. The focus outside of Kuala Lumpur includes places such as: Penang, Ipoh, CameronHigh-lands,Melaka,JohorBaru.Communityvisitsaremanagedonrequestbysub-communitiesandcon-sist of publicmeetingswith sub-committees and fellowship churches. During themeetings, infor-mationissharedandthereistypicallyaquestionandanswersession.


Eachvisitconsistsofupto50-100refugeescomingtogethertoconnectwithCRCstaff.Thepurposeistoeffectivelyrolloutbasicawarenesscampaignsandshareinformation.

Figure 18: Community visit with CRC chairman

DetentionCentrevisits

ThisactivityhasbeencentraltoourworksincetheformationofCRCandmanydetaineescouldbesuppliedwithmoralandmaterialsupportuntil2007.Sincethen,UNHCRcardholdershadverylim-itedaccesstothejailsandimmigrationdetentioncenters.PastorsoftheChinChristianFellowship(CCF)visitmostofthecentersonbehalfoftheCRCtoprovideassistanceforthoseinneed.Addition-ally,pastorsrecorddetainees’biodata,suchastheirnameandbodynumbers,whichCRCusestoin-formtheUNHCRfortheirrelease.

JungleCampsvisit

Inseekingforrefuge,manyrefugeeswhodarenottostayinurbanareas indthehomeinthedeepjunglesuntil2008duetotheraidsrunbyRELA,immigrationandpoliceforcetherefugeestoleavetheirhomefromcitytothejunglesitewhereanimalsmaketheirhomes.Smalltentsandhutswerebuiltingroupspopulating100to300peopleineachcamp.Afterjunglecampslastedtillthebegin-ningof2009,refugeesandasylumseekerscanliveinthecityareasabandoningtheirjunglelifestyleswhichwereendedbythemassmobileregistrationofUNHCR.

However,somejunglecampsremainintheCameronHighlandsinPahangstate.CRC'sroleinthesecampsistovisitthemforencouragement,assistance,trainingandawarenessprogramsabouthealthissuesandsocialissuesanddatacollectioninordertofullyinformrelevantNGOsandtheUNHCRforfurtherassistance.


CounselingClass

CRChelpsrefugeeswith theirsocialanddomesticproblems.Manysuffermentalproblemsdue tothestressesandfearsoflivinginMalaysia.ReportedcasesaredealtwithbyCRC,atsomepoints,incollaborationwithpastors.SeriouscasesarereferredtotheACTSclinicandtoUNHCRforfurtherassistance as necessary. Social and mental problems reported to us are dealt with by providingcounselingatCRCandreferralsaremadeasneeded.

FuneralServices:

ManyliveshavebeenlostwaitingforUNHCRrecognitionandresettlementtothirdcountries.CRC,therefore,hastodealwiththedeadandfuneralmattersingeneral.First,theCRCmedicalcoordina-torhastoinformUNHCRtogetaletter,whichwillallowCRCtotakethedeadbodyfromtheforen-sicdepartment.TheChristianFellowship'spastorsthenhaveto indaplacetoburythebody.CRChelpstherelativesand/orcommunitytotransferthedeadbodyinthemorningofthefuneralday.OneoftheCRCstafftakespartinalltheseactivitiesonbehalfofCRC.TheCRCcarisoftenusedforfuneralservicesregardlessofthedeceased’smembershiporaf iliation.

Figure 19: Funeral service


Cooperationandcoordination

CRCisworkingincooperationandcoordinationwiththeUNHCRandmanyNGOswhodealwithasy-lumseekersandrefugees.Ofcourse,CRCcannotstandalonetocarryitsworkloadsinprovidingser-vicestoitsmembers.Ontheotherhand,theUNHCRandmanyNGOsneedthehelp,communitycon-nectionsandexpertiseofCRCinmanyareas.

UNHCR

AstheUNHCRistheonlyorganizationthatprovidessomedegreeofprotection,CRC,alongwithoth-erethnicrefugeeorganizations,hasmonthlymeetingswiththeUNHCRtoshareinformation.Anoth-er regularactivityofCRC is to traceun-contactable refugees foravarietyof interviewsrelated toregistrationandresettlement.AsCRCisrecognizedasaserviceprovidingorganization,UNHCRhasissuedaprotectionletterfortheCRCof ice.UNHCRhasbeenhelpingrefugeesnotonlywiththereg-istration,recognitionandresettlementtothirdcountries,butalsowithbasicprotection,fundingforincomegeneration, educationandskills training, awareness raisingofHIV/AIDSandSGBV,healthtraining, inancialassistanceformedicalbillsforvulnerablefamiliesandgeneraladvocacyforrefu-gees.

CommunityDevelopmentUnit(UNHCR)

TheCommunityDevelopmentUnitoftheUNHCRorganizesmeetingsinwhichthecommunitylead-ershaveachancetomeetwithvariousdepartmentsoftheUNHCR.Monthlymeetingswithallcom-munitybasedorganizationsofallnationalitiesareconductedinvitingotherdepartmentsoftheUN-HCRasrequestedbythecommunities.Sixtytoonehundredleadersfromvariouscommunitiesat-tendthemeetingtoreceiveinformationfromtheUNHCRandtoraiseissueswiththeUNHRabouttherefugeecommunities' challenges.CoalitionofBurmaEthnics,Malaysia (COBEM) leadersmeet-ingswiththeUNHCRareorganizedbyCDU.

SocialProtectionFund(SPF,UNHCR)

TheUNHCRprovidesgrantstoCBOsfor incomegenerationandcapacitybuildingofrefugees.Pro-jectsaredrawnupbycommunitiesandproposalssubmittedtotheUNHCR.Aftercarefulconsidera-tionoftheproposalandafeasibilitystudyadecisionismadeandifsuccessfuluptoRm.12,000isgranted.CRChasreceivedSPFfundsforSexualandGenderBasedViolence(SGBV)training,WomenandChildrencareShelterandmappingofunaccompaniedminorsandseparatedchildren(UASC,NaDamMaw)projects.CRCisthankfultotheUNHCRnotonlyforprovidingprotectiontoCRCbutalsoforsuchassistanceprogramsthatallowCRCtogrowasanorganizationandprovidebetterservices.


Figure 20: SGBV training session

RegistrationDepartment(UNHCR)

ThenumbersofrefugeesandpersonsofconcernriseinMalaysia,andmoreandmoreapproachtheUNHCRforlegalprotection,registrationasrefugeesandresettlement.CRC,likeotherMyanmareth-nicorganizationshelpstheUNHCRregistrationdepartmentinmanyways.Firstofall,CRCcompileslists of names of unregistered refugeeswith information about their home village, administrativesectionanddialectandsubmitittotheUNHCRforregistrationuponrequestofUNHCRof ice.How-ever,massmobileregistrationsthatwereconductedin2009and2010haveceased.Duringthepre-viousmobile registrations, CRC had to contact the sub-community leaders and handed the list tothemtocontacteveryoneonthelistforregistration.CRChastoprovideinterpretersforeverydia-lect.ThusCRChadvisitedtoallstatesofMalaysiawherethemobileregistrationwasconducted.

NGOs

CRCworkscloselywithNGOs, suchas "ACallToServe" (ACTS),Tenaganita, Suaram,TzuChi andothers. CRC staff accompanies ACTS formobile clinics in the Cameron highlands once every twomonthstosourcepatientsandinterpretforrefugeesanddoctors.ACTSandTzuChialsorunperma-nent clinics for refugees.Medical coordinatorsmeetwithACTS regularly.Trainings suchas SGBV,domesticviolence,HealtheducationareorganizedbyTenaganitafortherefugees.Advocacyandac-cesstojusticearegreatlybeinghelpedbySuaram(theindependentHumanRightswatchdoginMa-laysia).Asamatterof fact,NGOsare theorganizationswhichprovide importanthelp tomake theworkofrefugeeorganizationsmoreeffective.TheirsupportkeepsrefugeeorganizationsinMalaysiagoing. CRC recognizes their important contributions and is greatly indebted to thoseNGOswhichwork for the bene it of Chin refugees. CRC is proudof receiving the human rights award in 2006awardedbySuaram.


CoalitionofBurmaEthnics,Malaysia(COBEM)

TheCoalitionofBurmaEthnics,Malaysia(COBEM)wasfoundedin2007torespondtotheneedsoftheethnicrefugeesfromMyanmarlivinginMalaysia.Thisisacommunity-basedorganizationrepre-senting thedifferent ethnicminorities fromMyanmar. Itwas formed toorganize, assist, empowerandprotectourrespectivecommunity.Inrecognitionthatcommunity-basedoperationsinMalaysiawould bene it from increased resource sharing and cooperation.The ethnic organizations such asChinRefugeeCommittee(CRC),AllianceofChinRefugees(ACR),KachinRefugeeCommittee(KRC),ShanRefugeeOrganization(SRO),OrganizationofKarenniDevelopment(OKD),MalaysiaKarenOr-ganization(MKO),MonRefugeeOrganization(MRO)andArakanRefugeeReliefCommittee(ARRC).Thecoalitionmeetseverymonthtoshare theirexperiencesandchallengesandhelpeachother insolvingrefugeeproblem.ThiscoalitionisrecognizedandhighlyrespectedbytheUNHCR.Ajointof-iceislocatedatPuduPlaza.ThecoalitionliaiseswithMalaysianpolicespecialbranch,UNHCRandothernecessarydepartments.

CRC'svolunteerstaff

TheCRCof iceisrunbyvolunteerstaffunderthesupervisionofof icebearers,whoareledbythecoordinator.Theof icehasninedepartmentsworkingwith17fulltimevolunteersstaffedandman-agedbyof icebearers.Staffisallocatedinresponsetotheneedsofeachdepartment.

The CRC volunteers are carefully chosen through interviews from sub-communities with muchknowledge about thediversity inChin socie-ty. Also, CRC is awareof more than 45 dia-lects spoken in Chinstatewhich leadsus toprioritize multi-dialectspeakingapplicants forvolunteers.

In response to emer-gency and securityproblems, CRC isstaffed24/7andevery-oneisreadytorespondto the unexpected andunpredictable prob-lems encountered byourmembers.

The Registration de-partmentandOutreachProtectionIndividualUnitareopenfor7dayswhilstotherdepartments,whicharecomprisedofdoc-umentpreparation,writingrequestletterstoUNHCR,RSC,IOMetc.areonlyopenMondaytoSatur-day.

TheMedicaldepartmentisalsoopenatalltimesasemergenciescomeinatalltimesandfollow-upmeetingsandreportwriting takesupadditional time. All staffareurged tokeep their telephonesreadyfor24hours.

Volunteersusuallyreceiveanallowanceof400-600RMpermonth.

Figure 21: CRC volunteer staff 2012‐2013


ActivitiesCRCParticipatedinCRCtakespart innumerouseventsandtrainingactivitiesorganizedbyChincommunities,COBEMmemberorganizationsandUNHCR.Withintheyearof2012,CRCparticularlyparticipatedinarangeofeventsforChinNationalDay,itsorganizingcommitteeandsub-communitiesledevents,suchas,footballcupsandChristiangatherings(conferences).

FurthermoreCRCparticipatedintrainingprovidedbySPF,CDUofUNHCRandNGOs,anACTScliniconhealthissues,TenaganitaandBarCouncileventsonrefugeeissues.SPFalsofundedahighlysuc-cessfulcommunityprojectcalledGotongRoyong(communityclean-up)thatwasrolledoutin12lo-cationsinSelangorandreceivedgreatfeedbackfromlocalsandMalaysianauthorities.

Figure 22: Gotong Royong clean up 2012 in Imbi

Community Events included football games, traditional festivals, Christian gatherings (GlobalChinConference)andMCCYF(MyanmarChinChristianYouthFellowship).

COBEMalsorunseventsandtrainingsessions:KarenNewYearandShanNewYearcelebrationandhealthworkertraininginconjunctionwithIADdept.ofUNHCR,Photosworkshopand inan-cialreportwritingtraininginconjunctionwithTenaganita.

NGO-runtraining:HealthtrainingbyACTSclinic,EmpoweringRefugeestrainingbyBarCouncil,SGVBandLaborRightstrainingbyHEI(HealthEquityInitiatives).

UNHCR-runtraining:PeerSupportCounseling,ProjectManagerEmpowerment trainingbySPF(SocialProtectionFund),CodeofConduct,Skills,WomenLeadership,General

EducationDevelopment,Leadership,DatabaseandFamilyCounselingtrainingbyCDU(CommunityDevelopmentUnit).

EventsorganizedbyUNHCR:WorldFoodDay,InternationalWomenDayandWorldRefugeeDaybyCDU,WorldMentalHealthDay,AIDSDaybyIAD.

Trainingsessionswereattendedbyselectedstaffandeventswereusuallyattendedbythecoor-dinator,medicalcoordinatorandchairman.



The community survey was carried out between November and December 2012 and consisted of inter‐

views and discussions with sub‐community and fellowship leaders as well as individual community mem‐

bers. More than 100 people were surveyed to get an updated picture of the Chin refugee community in

peninsula Malaysia.

REGISTRATIONUPDATES2012

Figure 23: registration/month 2012

No Registra on Total

01 New Registra ons 5949

02 Renewals 4231

03 Family protec on le ers 1108

COMMUNITYSURVEY

Figure 24: current CRC membership


Chin Distribu on in Malaysia

Thismapshowsthe11statesofWesternMalaysia.Chinrefugeesandasylumseekersarespreadthrough-outthepeninsula.TherearenoreportsofChinrefu-geeslivinginPerlisandKedahandtherearejustafewlivinginKelantantemporarilyforemploymentrea-sons,usuallyreturningtotheirfamiliesinKualaLum-purattheendoftheirtenure.WeprovideestimatesofChinlivingindifferentareasofpeninsulaMalaysiainconsultationwithourcommunitycontactpersonsfromthoseareas.Thegraphsbelowshowapproxi-matenumbersforareasoutsideofSelangorstateandonejustforSelangor.RefugeesandasylumseekersinMalaysiapredominantlyresideinSelangorstate,whichisalsothemostpopulousstateinMalaysiawitharound5.1millioninhabitants

Figure 26: CRC Members by state

NoChinrefugeepresence

Figure 25: Map of West Malaysia


Figure 27: CRC members in Selangor

REGISTEREDANDUNREGISTEREDnumbersofChinrefugeesinMalaysia

Figure 28: members documented and undocument-


Thegraphaboveillustratesthatapproximately43%Chinrefugeesremainundocumentedand57%aredocumentedwiththeUNHCR.ThislargenumberofundocumentedasylumseekersinMalaysiaisworryingastheyreceivenoprotectionfromtheUNHCRandarenewedUNHCRregistrationdriveisthusurgentlyneeded.

DETENTIONREPORT

The detention report shows that there are a large number of Chin refugees detained in variouscampsanddetentioncentresacrossthecountry(inWestMalaysia).Asstatedearlier,ifrefugeesareincarcerated in immigrationdepartmentfacilities,CRCcannotprovidehelpsasallcommunicationhave togo through theUNHCR.CRCadvocates for immediateUNHCR intervention,however.CRCassiststheUNHCRof icebyprovidingdetailedinformationoftheconcernedpersons,suchastheirname,camp/detentionbodynumberandperiodofdetentionsentence.Oncetherefugeeandasylumseeker isdetainedatan immigrationcampordetentioncenter, it takesat least3-6monthstogetthemreleasedviaUNHCRintervention.Thisisespeciallyproblematicforunregisteredasylumseek-ers,whohavetobe irstinterviewedbyUNHCRandgothroughtherecognitionforrefugeestatusprocess.OnlyiftheyareawardedrefugeestatusbytheUNHCRcantheyreleasehim/heratthese-condroundofcamp/detentionvisit.Thisprocessandthedelaysinvisitcyclescanmeandetaineeswaitforuptooneyearindetention.

Thedetentionperiodisdif iculttopredictastheUNHCRhaslimitedresourcesformobilizingsuf i-cientstafftodealwithimmigrationauthorities.

Male0

20

40

60

80

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

Septem…

October

Novemb…

December

Male

Female

Total

Figure 29: detained CRC members


DETAINEESRELEASEDBYCRCOFFICE

Securityisaprimaryconcernamongrefugeecommunities.ThecommunitiesareregardedbytheMalaysiangovernmentasillegalandmanyMalaysiancitizenshavethesameperception.AlthoughUNHCRregisteredrefugeesaregivensomeprotection,asylumseekersdonotreceiveassistancefromtheUNHCR.Forthisreason,theentireundocumentedpopulationreliesheavilyonthelimitedservicesandsupportoftheCRC.WiththeassistanceofOPI,adivisionoftheCRCthatadvocatesfordetainees,manyarereleasedfromjailintheSelangorareas.TheirreleasesaremanagedbywayofnegotiationwiththeexplanationthattheirUNHCRregistrationispending.

Numerous governmental authori-ties in Selangor are aware of therefugee population and providecooperationandsecurity for thosethat need it. Meanwhile, there aresomestateauthoritiesandindivid-ualsthatcontinuetotreatrefugeesinanunjustmanner.

Note:Raids andarrests conductedby immigration authorities cannotbe processed through refugeebased organizations such as theCRC,butmustwaittobeprocessedbytheof iceofUNHCR.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Male

Female

Total

Figure 30: Detainees released by CRC


RefugeesinMalaysiaarenotprovided inancialsupportfortheirfamilies’survival.Thebreadwinnerorfamilycaretakerhastoseekoutjobsavailabletothem.Theseareusuallyintherestauranttrade,onconstructionsites,onplantationsorinfactories.BelowisatablethatshowsCRCemploymentini-tiatives indingjobsfortheChinrefugees(bothrecognizedrefugeeandasylumseekers).

Thenumbers recruitedby these initiativesdependon the frequencyand locationsof raidsasem-ployersareafraidtoget inedbytheauthorities.

Figure 32: work site inspection by the CRC employment unit

Figure 31: employment initiatives

0

5

10

15

20

Employment Initiatives 2012

Male Female

EMPLOYMENTINITIATIVES2012


MEDICALREPORTS

(I)HOSPITALADMISSION

CRC endeavours to help and support all itsmembers in emergency cases, such as accompanyingthemtothehospitaltohelpwithtranslationandgeneralsupportandadvice.Duetostaf ingshort-fallsCRCisoftenunderpressure,receivingfurtherappealsfromitsmembersandhospitalsforhelpwhilstaccompanyingotherpatients.

Figure 33: hospital admissions

Lookingatthetypesofdiseasesreported,60%areaccidentsandaround20%TBrelatedwhilst10%aretheresultsofacaesareanoperationandothertypesofoperation(notincludingaccidentopera-tions)andtherestareofeye,heart,mental,malaria,internalbleedinganddengue.


(II)CLINICACCOMPANIMENT

Figure 34: clinic appointments

Clinicscatertosmallerailmentsandactas irstpointsofcontactwiththehealthsystem.ThetypesofdiseasesattendedtowereHIV,denguefever,malaria,liverproblems,heartproblems,mentalprob-lems,bleeding,cancer,eyeandpregnancy.

Note:Accidentsandotheremergenciesaredirectlyreferredtohospitals.

EMBASSYUNIT

RecordsforAustralianHighCommissionandUSEmbassy:

Note:CRConlyassistsofAustralianandAmericanembassiesintermsof illingoutformsanddocu-mentsubmissionandisnotinvolvedinanyadministrativepartoftherefugeeresettlementprocess.ThecasesnotedabovearerecordedaspartoftheCRCserviceprovision.

No Refugee&Humani-tarianVisa(SubClass200)

FiancéeVisa(ProspectiveMarriage)

VisaIssued 93VisaSection(USResettlement)

01 654Cases 26Cases 578Cases 35Cases


Figure 35: embassy unit service provision

AnalysisofCommunityCommentsandOpinionsTheCommunitycommentsandopinionsurveyisbasedonresponsesbyindividualsandcommunityleaders. In addition to dozens of individuals, CRC interviewed and surveyed around 30 sub-communityleadersandChristianfellowshipleadersabouttheCRCserviceprovision.Asthe iguresbelowindicatetheserviceprovidedbyCRCisjudgedtobepredominantlyeffectiveandsatisfactory,withbothscoringabove70%.However,thisalsoindicatesthatCRChastoworkhardtocontinuetoprovidegoodservicesand further improveourservices forourmembers.AsCRC isa communitybasedorganization,werelyheavilyonourmembersandthusencouragesub-communitiesandordi-narymemberstobemoreunited,cohesiveandsupportiveinsocialaffairs,securityandprotectionofourcommunity.

Figure 36: community survey - effectiveness


Figure 37: community survey – satisfaction

SurveyonChinRefugeeBasedSchoolsinKlangValleyAreas

71%

29%

CommunityComments&Opinion:clientsatisfaction

Satisfied

Unsatisfied

No SchoolName GeographicLocations UnregisteredNumber

RegisteredNumber

Total

1 Senthang Educa on School Loke Yew 42 28 70

2 CSO (Chin Student Organiza on) Imbi/Sentul/Cheras/

Puchong/Loke Yew

226 208 434

3 Myanmar Educa on Center Loke Yew 50 75 125

4 Zotung Refugee Catholic Center (ZRCC) Loke Yew 19 33 52

5 ACR School Pudu 56 93 149

6 MSO ( Matu Social School) Imbi 10 15 25

7 United Learning Center (ULC) Imbi 60 42 102

8 Zotung Refugee Community (ZRC) Loke Yew 13 40 53

9 Zophei Children Learning Center Pudu 17 142 159

10 Lautu Refugee Learning Center Sungai Besi 19 46 64

11 Mizo Refugee Learning Center Pudu 42 40 82

12 Chin Women Organiza on Maluri 15 90 105

13 Dai Victoria Learning Center Maluri 6 40 46

14 Cheras Baru Chin School Cheras 40 22 62

15 Cho Youth Organiza on Maju 40 29 69

16 Shining Learning Center Jalan Mega 18 35 53

17 Touch Learning Center Pandan Cahaya 35 15 50


AccordingtoUNHCRdatathereare21,890 registeredrefugeechildrenbelowtheageof18.Accord-ingtoourCRCcommunityschoolsassessment95%ofChinrefugeechildrenattendingschoolarebe-lowtheageof15andonly5%areoftheabove16.Mostchildren,whentheyreachtheageof15or16beginworkinginavarietyofsectors.

By the end of December 2012, there were 2342 children attending community based schools ofwhich1310areregisteredwhilst1032areunregistered.Thesenumbersaredynamic,asnewenrol-

ment will begin in January2013whentheschoolsreo-pen. The reasonwhy thereissuchalargecohortofun-registered children is dueto the slowdown in familyinclusion registration,which means children ofalready registered parentsarenotregisteredinatime-ly manner. This makesthem more vulnerable interms of security and in-creases their likelihood ingetting stopped in public,arrestedordetainedby au-

18 Hope Learning Center Pandan Jaya 10 50 60

19 Rawn Chin Learning Center Bukit Cheras 16 14 30

20 Chin Diamond Learning Center Kajang 12 18 30

21 Hriphi Learning Center Jalan Ipoh 24 23 47

22 Children Training Center Setapark 31 76 107

23 Myanmar Migrant Learning Center Bukit Maluri Kepong 43

24 Myanmar Refugee Community

School

Kuchai Lama 78

25 Myanmar Educa on Center Klang 15 10 25

26 Li le Flower Learning Center Seramban 31 40 71

27 Shelter Community Center Puchong (Pusat Ban‐

dar)

22 41 63

28 Kids Care Learning Center Kota Damansara 20 10 30

29 Damai Refugee Learning Center Damai (017‐

9459324)

23 35 58

TOTAL 1032 1310 2342

*h p://www.unhcr.org.my/About_Us‐@‐Figures_At_A_Glance.aspx

Figure 38: school attendance


CommunityAnxietySurvey

ThissurveywasconductedbyCRCstaffaspartofthecommunitysurveyinNovemberandDecember2012inpersonandwithleadersandindividualsfurthera ieldacrossthepeninsulaviatelephone.

(1)Anxietyfactorsfordocumentedrefugees:

UNHCR:Registration(Reg),BID,Resettlement(RST),IAD

UNHCRonlyissuesacerti iedcopyinsteadofanewreplacementcardwhenpeoplelosetheirUN-HCRdocumentcardduetotheftorextortionbypoliceandthugs.Thisresults inrefugeesbeingmorevulnerabletothreatsofarrestanddetentionduringraidsastheauthoritiesonlyprefersee-ingtheUNHCRcard.

Onnumerousoccasionspeoplegetturnedbackatthefrontgatealthoughapplicantswerecalledtoattendinterviews,suchasBID,RST,FullRSTinterviews(thereseemstobeacommunicationissuebetweenthosewhomakephonecallsandthoseguardingthegate).

CaseOf icersusingMalay(Bahasa)languagewhencallingpeopleforinterviews.

Of icersunwillingtointroducethemselvesbynameduringinterviewsessions,whichhindersde-tailedservicefeedbackand/orfollow-upwhenproblemsoccur.

Some refugees,whoalready completed the full resettlement interview for resettlement toAus-tralia,areforciblyshiftedbacktoUSresettlementaftermonthsofwaiting.

IADresponsetomedicalemergenciesandforthoseincriticalneedisslow

Resettlementdelay for somerefugees (confusion isparticularlyhighonUSresettlementproce-dures as some people received resettlement acceleration even though they just completed theRSTinterview,comparedwithpeoplewhocompletedRSTyearsago).

RSC (Resettlement Support Center): RSC Pre-screen, DHS (Department of Homeland Security—immigration)

Operatorsdonotcallapplicants,butonlygiveamissedcall(hundredsofcaseshavebeenreport-edtoCRCsince2011).

Therearemanyreportsofpeopleontheun-contactablelist,whohavenorecordofbeingcalled.Sometimestheoperatoronlyusesthealternativetelephonenumber,ratherthantheapplicant’sprimarycontactnumber.

Theprocessfortheinterviewtakesalongtime,esp.forthosewholosetheirtelephonebetweencasesubmissionfromRSTtoRSCdept.Afterupdatingcontactdetailsandprovidinganewtele-phonenumberpeoplehavetowait ivetosevenmonthsandsomeuptoayearforthenextstep.

LackofexplanationofwhattheDHSsecuritycheckisandhowapplicantscanbeaffectedbyitsoutcomes.Thisbreakdownincommunicationincreasesanxietyamongstapplicants.

Long delays on updates of un-contactable applicants provided to refugee organizations, eventhoughtheyrequestthisinformationasamatterofurgency.

Actionsproperlynottakenonthoseupdatesbyrefugeeorganizations


TherearealsoreportsofsomefamiliesremainingunprocessedaftertheirDHSinterviewalthoughtheyhavecompletedthemedicalcheck-upwithIOMtwice,meaningtheyhavebeenwaitinginex-tendedlimbo.

Manyfamilies,whowereapartofascheduleddeparturethatwascancelledinFebruary2011,havenotreceivedanyupdatesincreasingstressandanxietyamongstthem.

IOM(InternationalOrganizationforMigration)

Medicalreports,esp.toUSresettlementagencydelayed,whichconsequentlydelaystheprocessingofresettlement.SeveralinquiriestotheRSCdepartmentbyconcernedandpatientrefugeesbroughtuptheissueofdelayedIOMmedicalreportsasthekeyissueforthedelay.

Manywomenfeeluncomfortablewiththemedicalexaminationsystem,whichrequiresfulldisrob-ingforwomen.

(2)Anxietyfactorsforundocumentedrefugees:

Securitythreats,suchasarrest,authorityraidsbypolice,RELAandimmigration

Lackofemployment,thusnoresourcesforsurvival

HavingtopaydoubletherateofUNHCRrecognisedrefugeesathospitals

NoteligibleformostUNHCRsupportandresources,suchasinterventionwhendetained,helpwithmedicalbillsetc.

LackofinformationonwhentheywillberegisteredbytheUNHCR


Otherissuesraisedinthesurvey:

At the time ofwriting this report, themost vulnerable organizations that are critically inneedof inancial assistance are theChin StudentOrganization (CSO),which is the biggestcommunity based school of all refugee schools in Malaysia, and Damai Learning Center,whichislocatedinasuburbanareaofKualaLumpur.CSOisinneedoffundsforapartmentrentalasitrunsschoolsin ivelocationsacrossSelangor.

Apartfromeducation,drugandalcoholrelatedurgentcasesrequireattention.Therearefewresourcesdevotedtocriticalcasesofdrugaddictionandalcoholism.ChinEmergencyReliefGroup(CERG),whichprovidesrecoveryandrehabilitationfacilitiestothosesufferingfromdrugaddictionandalcoholism,hasassistedseveraldrugaddictsandalcoholicsduring theirstofyearofoperationin2012.Itwasfoundedinresponsetoemergingchallengesinourrefugeecommunities,esp.inareasofdrugrelatedproblemsandaimedtoassistthosewhorequireurgentassistance.Itsoperationshavebeenmanagedonashoestringbyonecommit-ted volunteer, but its on-going operations are under continuous inancial and personnelstrain.

ApartfromthegrowingurbanpopulationofChinrefugees,thereisnowasizeableChinasy-lumseekerandrefugeepopulationofaround3000intheCameronHighlands.ManyfamilieswhocannotaffordtoliveinKualaLumpurhavemigratedthereinsearchofworkonfarms.WiththehelpoftheUNHCRaHighlandsChinCommunityhasbeenestablished.Theyoper-atetheHighlandsLearningCenterforchildrenundertheageoftwelve.Thecommunityisindireneedof inancialsupportandmaterialdonationsforthelearningcenter.

Mostoftheissuesandproblemsidenti iedinthisreportarenotonlyencounteredbyChinasylumseekersandrefugeesbutalsobyotherrefugeesandasylumseekersinMalaysia.Asy-lumseekersandrefugeesarehelplessandvulnerable,especiallyintermsofmisconductandproblemsthatoccurattheUNHCRof iceandourgenerallevelofsecurity,becausewefacearrest,detentionandcourtjudgments.Malaysianauthoritiesalsodonotproperlyinvestigatepolice reports refugeesmakewhen they are robbed, stolen fromassaultedor attackedbylocalgangs,becausewelackdocumentation.Thuswefaceallsortsofmistreatmentandmis-conductbuthaveno-onetoappealtoforremedy.Inshort,wedonotjustlackrightsanddoc-umentation, butwe lack recourse to address these issues –we lack legal aid. As CRCwepledgetosupportwithourutmosteffortsanyorganisationorindividualswhoarewillingtohelpusaddressthisissueandsetuplegalaidforrefugeesinMalaysia,aswebelievelackoflegalaidaffectstherefugeecommunityasawhole.


CanyoucontributeyourtimeanddonationtoChinRefugees?

VolunteerteachingresourcesortimeforChinRefugeeChildren’sclasses

Employrefugeesinyourbusiness

VisitajailwithCRCvolunteers

Helpcollectdetentionhistoryandbio-datafromChindetainees

PleasehelpgiveavoicetoChin.Wearenotillegalmigrantsbutgenuinerefugeeswhole-gallyseektemporaryprotectionwhilestrandedinatransitcountry,Malaysia

Donatetothewomenandchildrencarecenter

DonatetodisabledrefugeesandHIVshelter

DonatetoChinRefugeebasedschools

Yourhumanitarianheartsandlovingconcernarewarmlywelcome.Formoredetailspleasecontactuson0321447231orcrcmalaysia2011@yahoo.com.OrcomeandvisitusinKualaLumpurat11C,JalanKhooTeikEe,OffJalanImbi.



2012FinancialReport

Income

No. Particular Amount 1 CRC Card 26,8437.00 2 CRC Card Renewal 13,7145.00

3 Protection Letter 22,070.00

4 Employment 23,440.00 5 Motor Rental 10,016.00

6 CRC Card Repair 4,690.00

7 Bank Card 7,900.00

8 Other Card 3,559.00 9 Photo 1,950.00

10 Donation 7,150.00

Total Income 486,357.00

2011 Closing Balance 31,979.11

Grand Total Income 518,336.11

Expenditure

No Particular Amount

1 Allowance 91,700.00

2 Communications 19,266.42 3 Women and Child Care Centre 29,174.74

4 Maintenance of office 37,092.69

5 HIV Shelter 5,051.00

6 Food 37,678.00 7 Office Supply and Maintenance 71,710.50

8 Stationary 5,819.80

9 Special Events 81,386.50

10 Donation 33,352.00

11 Transportation 44,197.00

Total 456,428.65

Grand Total Income 518,336.11

Expenditure 456,428.65

2012 Closing Balance 61907.46

2013 Opening Balance 61907.46

Malaysiaisneitherasigna-tory to the 1951 RefugeeConvention, nor its 1967Protocol.Assuch,refugeesare not recognized andfacediscrimination,perse-cution and prosecution asillegal immigrants. Thereareover100.000 refugeesregisteredwiththeUNHCRwith many remaining un-registered and most vul-nerable. The majority ofthese refugees are Chinfrom Myanmar. The ChinRefugee Committee (CRC)wasestablishedin2001toprotect and support Chinasylum seekers and refu-gees inMalaysia. This re-port details the situationforChinrefugeesinMalay-siaaswellastheworktheCRC performs and its or-ganizationalstructures.

Documents

CRC Report 2012--Draft edited3-sample3 (Henze Intl Kareem's conflicted copy 2013 … · 2013-11-01 · CRC Annual Report 2012 ‐ Page 3 Preface CRC was founded on 13th February 2001