“I WAS TRAFFICKED 7 TIMES”
Born in Malaysia
This
is Ziaur Rahman’s story.
All
of his possessions in the room he shares with a Bangladeshi
Ziaur
Rahman. A
young Rohingya living in Kuala Lumpur. It’s not easy being a
Rohingya. Being stateless means you have absolutely no bargaining
power. Being stateless means governments, practicing policies of
non-intervention, turn a blind eye to your plight. Then, there are
those who say the Rohingyas are getting their comeuppance for asking
for independence back in the late 1940s.
Sitting across me this
afternoon is a young Rohingya man. Ziaur Rahman, 24, has been a
refugee all his life. He was not even born in 1946, when Muslim
leaders from Rakhine State met with Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder
of Pakistan but he paid the ultimate price with his freedom or
rather, the lack of it.
Ziaur left Myanmmar when
he was only a few months old. Unbearable conditions in Myanmar
compelled his parents to flee to Bangladesh and this was the start of
a very difficult life. Now, Ziaur is a victim of human trafficking;
unable to return to Myanmar or Bangladesh where his mother still
lives in a refugee camp.
His
ordeal started in October 2014 when human traffickers kidnapped him
outside Kutupalong Registered Refugee Camp in Cox’s Bazar,
Bangladesh. They covered his face, tied his hands and beat him before
putting him on a boat where he was sold to other traffickers.
There
were more than 300 people on board along with 10 traffickers.
Conditions were unbearable and people were cramped against each
other. They were not fed for five days and this resulted in two
deaths. The dead were unceremoniously thrown into the sea. The real
tragedy is that some of the traffickers on the boat were Rohingyas.
Ziaur
drank sea water and when he was extremely hungry, he stole the
traffickers’ food. They punished him and he lost his right eye. His
ordeal continued when the boat landed in Thailand. Victims of human
trafficking are usually trafficked more than once.
In
Ziaur’s case, it was seven times before he ended up at a house in
Penang. The traffickers operate using a network that crosses
international borders. Victims are moved seamlessly from one gang to
another, aided by corrupt officials. Throughout each stage, these
victims are abused, beaten and starved.
Ziaur
Rahman & his mother in Bangladesh, Feb 2013
The
traffickers in Penang demanded RM8,000 from that he was unable to
pay. So, they starved him. After three days, Ziaur and another
captive, a Bangladeshi, escaped. He eventually made his way to the
UNHCR office in Kuala Lumpur where he was issued with an asylum
seeker card.
Even
with the UN Refugee Card, Ziaur cannot work in Malaysia. He has held
a number of jobs but was never paid what he deserves. This opens the
door for further abuse of his rights and inhumane work and living
conditions by employers.
Ziaur
speaking at the screening of ‘Bodies for Sale’ in November, 2015
in Kuala Lumpur
Ziaur’s
refugee status means that even after escaping from the traffickers,
he will continue to be exploited by those around him. But, there is a
sliver lining. Ziaur speaks English and this allows him to affect
change. He believes his story will open the eyes of the world to the
horrors the Rohingyas face every day. This drives him and Ziaur
tirelessly tells stories of his people. For example, during the
filming of Bodies
for Sale,
a film by Mahi Ramakrishnan about the plight of the Rohingyas, Ziaur
told his story to the audience.
Ziaur
showed me where he lived; a tiny room at the back of a building. It
houses more than 20 people and there is only one bathroom to serve
their needs. It is stifling hot under the zinc roof but he is
grateful for the roof over his head. In his room, there are a few
number of mementos to remind him of home. One is a calendar featuring
a quote by U Nu, the first Prime Minister of Burma. ‘Rohingya are
ethnic people living within the Union of Burma’, said U Nu In a
national radio address in 1954.
Stored
neatly in a cabinet are his precious documents; newspaper clippings
about his people, certificate of attendance for various workshops,
Ziaur’s own writings. I looked at his room then looked up at a
young man marooned in a foreign country without a passport and no way
to see his mother again and yet, working tirelessly to inform the
world of the Rohingyas’ plight.
Ziaur
the cook
Ziaur
wanted to cook for me. There was a little kitchen just outside the
room he shares with a Bangladeshi. I shared a plate of oranges with
him before he allowed me to buy him lunch.
The
Bangladesh government do not want the Rohingyas at the refugee camps
and have forcibly repatriated them but where will they go? Ziaur’s
uncle who went on a hunger strike along with his mother against the
forced repatriation in 1997 still languishes in jail.
I
asked Ziaur where he would like to live. He did not hesitate. He
wants to return to Myanmar but without a passport, it is not
possible. It’s not even possible to return to Bangladesh where his
mother lives in a refugee camp.
“Rohingya
are one ethnic people living within the Union of Burma.”
I’m
not supposed to stand in the middle of the road
Ziaur
said that the Rohingyas are sometimes mistaken for Bangladeshis and
classified as economic migrants but this is inaccurate. The Rohingyas
are a persecuted people; caught between Myanmar who have rendered
them stateless and Bangladesh who prefer that they return to Myanmar.
I
don’t claim to know of any solutions to the hardship faced by the
Rohingyas. However, I hope that people will read and share his story.
Ziaur wants us to acknowledge the right of his people to exist in a
country that they call home.
In
Malaysia, we can reach out and help the Rohingyas. Volunteer with one
of the numerous NGOs who assist the Rohingyas in their daily
struggle. Donations are also welcome.
This
is Ziaur Rahman’s story.
We
are fleeing for our lives
Constant
beatings and abuse by the traffickers
Why
do governments pretend this is not happening
I
fear for my people
