Burmese migrants in Malaysia: from one hell to another

Résumé du document

Burma got its independence from Great Britain in 1948 and became a democratic republic for only fourteen years. Since 1962, a military junta rules over Burma. That is to say, the democratic republic ended with the military coup d'Etat of General Ne Win. He founded the Burma Socialist Program Party - BSPP - which was the only political party allowed until 1988. His mandate was characterized by military rule and repression against opponents and minorities requesting independence. He also nationalized the economy and pursued a policy of autarky. A national revolution demanding democracy tried to seize power on the eighth of August 1988 called the 8888 Uprising. The 8888 Uprising ended on the 18th September, when General Saw Maung, who was the defense minister, led a bloody military coup. The State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), which was the official name of the military regime since 1988, also had repressive policies with human right violations and brutal persecutions of opponents and minority groups. General Saw Maung was the head of SLORC since its creation. In this repressive context, the Burmese can choose between staying in Burma at the mercy of the military junta (internal displaced people in Burma are around 500,000 since 1962), or leaving their home country for nearby countries such as Thailand, India, and Bangladesh. By leaving, Burmese migrants hope for a better future. Nevertheless, for some of them a second nightmare begins. This is the case of those who leave to Malaysia, where their life is very different from what they had hoped. Around 30,000 Burmese migrants are in Malaysia, but unofficial figures point out a number as high as 500 000.

Extraits

[...] Coping strategies in cities 7 B. Coping strategies in rural areas 8 Conclusion 9 Bibliography 10 Introduction Burma got its independence from Great Britain in 1948 and became a democratic republic for only fourteen years. Indeed, since 1962, a military junta rules over Burma. That is to say, the democratic republic ended with the military coup d'Etat of the General Ne Win. He founded the Burma Socialist Program Party BSPP-, which was the only political party allowed until 1988. His mandatory was characterized by military rules and repressions against opponents and minorities requesting independence. [...]

[...] During their displacement, Burmese migrants in Malaysia have to develop various coping strategies in urban areas as well as in rural ones. We saw that in both situations, the migrants are forced to live in poverty and constant fear of expulsion from the country. They have to face human trafficking, forced labor and detention in dramatic conditions. FIDH points out that “detention of children for immigration purpose is common, as it should be prohibited as a principle”[17]. It has to be emphasized that not only undocumented migrants are victims of these treatments, so as RELA raiders even arrest migrants with UNHCR refugee cards and send them to detention centers. [...]

[...] For instance, the Malaysian government is using the cane to whip illegal migrants. According to Section 6 of the Malaysian Immigration Act, people without document or without a valid visa can be sentenced to up to five years of prison, fined up to 10,000 ringgit 2,800) and given up to six strokes of cane. Moreover, testimonies show the violence of this practice: I lost consciousness for an hour after I was whipped” said a Burmese Rohingya man, or I can not work as long as I did before, because since I was caned I still feel pain in my lower body even after four months”, said Karen[7] migrant worker who was sentenced to one cane stroke[8]. [...]

[...] How Burmese migrants can stay free? Many Burmese decided and still decide to leave Burma for Malaysia. Indeed, they have run for their lives from land confiscation, persecutions from the military junta, and other severe human rights violations. Arrived in Malaysia they can choose between hiding in cities or in rural area. Both locations have some positive and negative aspects. Coping strategies in cities First of all, some Burmese migrants choose to move in cities in Malaysia that offer many positive aspects. [...]

[...] Even though wages are very low as they are illegal workers, they can earn enough money to survive with their family. Actually, for people from Burma, there can be economic opportunities in Malaysia. However, in spite of those opportunities, Burmese refugees are living in a climate of fear. Indeed, they are constantly at the mercy of the RELA. A raid led by the RELA to capture them can happen at any time. For instance, on the 25th of June 2007, at 2 am, the RELA raided in Kuala Lumpur. As a consequence migrants from Burma were arrested. [...]