Dozens of Chin refugees arrested in Malaysia crackdown

13 March 2015 — Malaysian authorities carried out a night crackdown on Chin refugees in three areas of Kuala Lumpur today.

Police together with officials from the Criminal Investigation Department conducted a raid from 6pm to 8pm in Jalan San Peng, Jalan Loke Yew and San Peng, Kenanga Shopping Mall, according to the Faiceu journal.

One of the Chin detainees told the Faiceu that more than 200 Chin refugees were believed to be arrested, of which about 80 were not registered with the UNHCR.

A Chin eye-witness said that the authorities went from house to house in the raids, arresting those registered and non-registered, adding: “Only two orphans and a woman are left in the one house that I know.”

It is expected that those registered with the UNHCR would be released soon with the help of the UN Refugee Agency based in the Malaysian capital.

More than an estimate of 40,000 Chin refugees are currently living in Malaysia, out of the total 140,590 from Burma, according to the UNHCR.#