Malaysia: A Rohingya safe haven?
Vital
aid provided to Rohingya displaced in Myanmar and Bangladesh, but
little done to help refugees inside Malaysia.
By
Adam Bemma
 |
| Arifa Sultana, is a 23-year-old Rohingya journalist now based in Malaysia after fleeing Myanmar's restive Rakhine state [Adam Bemma/Al Jazeera] |
Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia - Inside a television studio a small team of
four prepare the daily news bulletin featuring horrendous stories of
rape, murder, forced exile, and the lack of an international response
to these crimes.
But this
is no ordinary television news station. It's fully staffed
by Rohingya refugees broadcasting online, sharing news and
information from Myanmar, Bangladesh and beyond. It's essentially
refugee TV, brought to you from studios in Malaysia, Pakistan, and
Saudi Arabia.
Sitting
at the news anchor desk is Arifa Sultana, a 23-year-old Rohingya
journalist. Her family fled from Myanmar's restive Rakhine state to
Bangladesh a mere 11 months after her birth in 1994.
Myanmar's
government has deprived the Rohingya of citizenship since 1982. But
as Azeem Ibrahim points out in his book, The Rohingyas: Inside
Myanmar's Hidden Genocide, the campaign to exclude them as an
official minority group began with Burma's founding 1947
constitution.
Generations
of Rohingya have been rendered stateless, and it seems a concerted
effort to force them out of their homes and into squalid refugee
camps has been undertaken by the Tatmadaw, Myanmar's armed forces.
The
Tatmadaw argues it is doing "security clearance" in
northern Rakhine state, and has issued its own report denying
any wrongdoing since these operations began following attacks by
the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army on August 25.
"Everybody
knows that we are Rohingya but when it comes to documentation,
there's no legal proof," Sultana told Al Jazeera. "This is
the biggest challenge I'm facing now."
Three
years ago, Sultana came to Malaysia before the country temporarily
sealed its borders to refugees fleeing Myanmar and Bangladesh in
2015.
Sultana
wanted to continue her studies, and possibly attend a college. She
quickly ran into the problem all Rohingya refugees do - the lack of
necessary documentation to allow her to study legally in Malaysia.
"I'm
sure there are many Rohingya like me who are more talented and
educated," Sultana said. "They have a lot of capability and
potential but this is a restriction for them."
Sultana
turned to journalism. She began volunteering when she was 19 years
old atRohingya Vision TV, known as RVision to its staff and audience.
It broadcasts in Rohingya, English, and Arabic.
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| Arifa Sultana, 23, is afraid to leave Malaysia fearing she won't be allowed to return |
"When I started working here I was very emotional hearing all these stories. But now it's part of my daily work schedule," she said. "Thankfully, I have some senior editors who've guided me along the way."
Ziaur
Rahman, 24, is the Rohingya community's most outspoken advocate in
the country. He's discussed the crimes perpetrated against the
Rohingya directly with Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak three
times.
"In
Malaysia, we are not getting any protection, were not getting any
support from NGOs [non-governmental organisations]. We don't have any
rights," Rahman said.
Refugees
in Malaysia have no legal status, so they can't officially work or
attend government-run schools. But Malaysia has allowed space for a
"parallel school system", according to the UN refugee
agency, UNHCR.
These
informal primary schools around Malaysia are set up and run by the
refugee community itself, or faith-based organisations. The UNHCR
directly supports 120 of these refugee schools.
There are
150,000 Rohingya refugees registered with the UNHCR in Malaysia. Some
refugee children as old as 18 attend primary level classes.
The Prime
Minister's Office said there are 16,809 Rohingya children carrying
UNHCR cards, essentially allowing them and family members a discount
on medical services at hospitals in Malaysia.
Rohingya
Society Malaysia (RSM) is the only refugee community group
recognised by the UNHCR. Its President Bo Min Naing said there are
nearly 40,000 Rohingya still unregistered.
Sultana
and Rahman say the UNHCR card doesn't provide any security or
legality in Malaysia. Refugees often work illegally to provide for
their families.
Malaysia
has no intention to help refugees assimilate or study in
government-run schools, fearing more will come. It's providing vital
aid to Rohingya displaced in Myanmar and Bangladesh, but refugees
argue nothing is being done to help those in Malaysia.
"The
UN is doing a lot for us, but it's not doing enough," Sultana
said. "Even after getting the card you're liable to be harassed
on the road [by authorities]. If you have no education and your
children cannot receive education, what is the point of having a
[UNHCR] card?"
RSM has
supported 126 students since 2009 at its informal Rohingya Learning
Centre. Despite its limitation of only three volunteer teachers, it
hopes to one day be able to go beyond basic primary education and
offer secondary-level classes.
"Our
children need education," said Bo Min Naing. "We need to
have the opportunity to send our children to the government school
until we are able to provide it."
Rahman
said he will speak about the necessity of improving refugee education
next time he meets with Malaysia's prime minister. Sultana said she
feels responsible for Rohingya's lack of education and voice in the
international community.
This is
why she loves working as a journalist, reaching her audience online,
where many Rohingya refugees have turned to learn about the fate of
their loved ones.
"We
are denied all human rights. We have no legal documentation. I feel
that if I don't raise [this issue], people will not come to help us
solve it," she said.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/malaysia-rohingya-safe-haven-171122190637814.html
