Rohingya Life

Published by ASIA TIMES  I am a Rohingya refugee in Malaysia. In October 2014, human traffickers kidnapped me from outside the Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. They covered my face and tied my hands and beat me before putting me on a boat from which I was sold to other traffickers in Thailand. I was held captive in a trafficking camp for 13 days in southern Thailand. I was not given food for five days. I obtained freedom when Thai police rescued 134 Rohingya people in Ranong province. I was kept by the police in an immigration detention center (IDC). After I was declared a victim of human trafficking, I was sent to an IDC shelter in Songkhla, Thailand. I escaped from that facility because there was a Rohingya boy who was beaten by shelter officers. After a month, however, I was arrested again and sold again to traffickers. I was kept in a human-trafficking camp in Penang, Malaysia, until I managed to run away. Finally, in Malaysia, the Unit...

Group picture after Humanitarian Lab.2:0 in 2019 Grateful to meet MERCY Team Malaysia, especially President Dato' Dr Ahmad Faizal Perdaus at Humanitarian Lab 2:0 to address and find solutions to the pressing issues of refugees in Malaysia particularly the Rohingyas. Discussed about Protection & Ratification, Health, Education – were identified as priorities for discussion at Lab 2.0 among local NGOs, researchers, academicians, as well as international agencies including UNHCR and Rohingya community leaders at University Islam Angtarabangsa (UIA). Later, a Resolution was adopted and submitted to the Deputy Prime Minister, Dato' Seri Dr Wan Azizah Dr Wan Ismail at the Closing Ceremony. What an amazing work and time with most of the Rohingya representatives and everyone involved! Thank you so much Dr. Helmi ( Executive Director of ARC & Mercy Malaysia) for inviting me!

Posted  December 6, 2018 Author Human trafficking, also known as modern slavery or forced labour, affects more than 40 million around the world. As the world’s 3rd fastest form of organized crime, worth an estimated USD150 billion dollar industry, it is easy to see the financial incentive to lure victims into forced labor. Every aspect of this crime is a business – from recruiting, transporting, organizing to monitoring and ensuring the forced labor continues. Mirroring the stages of the traffickers, the non-profit sector working to combat this issue can briefly be categorized by their main objectives – awareness, prevention, advocacy, enforcement, shelter and resettlement. Although separate in their direction and functional objectives, these NGOs are dedicated in working towards one goal: to end modern slavery. However, without the right tools, the majority of the non-profit sector working against the crime fall behind the sophisticated techniques used by the traffi...

By Sophie Danielson  "Everyday, I am tortured by the words 'what if?' Not a day goes by when I don't think about my younger brother. He's 22, same age as you. We fled to Malaysia together. We were waiting outside the UNHCR office in Malaysia to get our refugee card. It was about a 45 minute long wait inside. I went in early and my brother was outside -- about to come and join me. While I was inside, the police came and arrested everyone standing outside. My brother was taken to prison for 11 months. There was nothing I could do. I got the refugee card...and he went to prison. And here I am, in America. I will never forgive myself for that day. If he came inside the office with me, he would be sitting in this very room right now. And now I may never see him again. This is how our life has been. What if things were different? What if we had a home? What if we were not Rohingya?" Stories of the Rohingya, the world's most scattered people. They des...

BY NOR ARLENE TAN         Rohingyas sought refuge in a number of countries including Bangladesh. (AP) Rohingya refugees who spoke to Arab News anonymously fear that their lives will be at stake if the Malaysian Government decided to send them back to Myanmar KUALA LUMPUR: Rohingyas in Malaysia fear that their lives are in danger if they are repatriated from the country by next year. Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah told the press on Monday that his ministry is working closely with foreign ministers from other ASEAN countries to discuss in detail the best way possible for sending back 1 million Rohingya refugees to Myanmar. The ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Special Taskforce is led by Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. The taskforce will head to Myanmar at the end of this month to kick-start the process of helping the Rohingya community to return to their homeland. “ We do not know how fast this process ...

It was just a day when a Rohingya refugee Scout joined one of the world’s biggest JOTA-JOTI 2018. Ziaur with Local Scouts Trainers after the World JOTA-JOTI 2018 in Negeri Sembilan  Negeri Sembilan : For this time, a total of 1,300 participant have joined at the Scouts Camp of Negeri Sembilan from 19-21 October 2018. Active Leader and International Scout, Ziaur Rahman from Rohingya Community in Malaysia have joined the World JOTA-JOTI 2018. Scouting means to empower youth and communities. It brings hope and life-changing opportunity to youth and refugees. Ziaur says “I'm proud to have reached international scout that allows me to develop leadership, be a productive human and especially bring joy to other people”. He was proud to know fellow Scouts from Malaysia. In the region which has been in the recent years got the Malaysia’s attention. Rohingya has also scout representatives in Malaysia. Through the universal Scouting principles - t...

Taken at the premiere of Freedom Film Festival held at Petaling Jaya, Kuala Lumpur on 2 September 2017 Ziaur was born on 20 June 1993 at Mee Chang Zay, Buthidaung township in Arakan State, western part of Myanmar. In 1993, his family fled Myanmar to escape religious persecution and human rights abuses. The abuses include forced labour, land confiscation, arbitrary arrest, extortion, as well as restrictions on movement, marriage, education, and employment. Due to that his family and all Rohingyas were denied the rights of citizenship in Myanmar, they were subjected to human rights abuses with no recourse.   His family sought refuge in Bangladesh before another tragedy hit them. Forced into a desperate situation, Ziaur’s father abandoned him and his mother when he was just two years old, making them dependants of his maternal grandmother’s family. They were moved from one camp to another several times as punishment by the government due to their activism. Ziaur himself ...