Myanmar national murdered

KOCHI: A Myanmarese worker was found murdered in the room, where he was staying in the city. The Palarivattom police have arrested another Myanmarese in this connection.

According to the police, Joseph, 27, who was found murdered on Thursday early morning, had met Thomas, 31, at a Bible College in Bangalore, where they were both studying theology. Together they moved to another Bible College in Thiruvalla for higher studies a couple of years ago. They were working as part-time employees at a hotel in Palarivattom during vacation. The two were staying at Palarivattom along with three others from West Bengal and one from Mizoram, all employees of the hotel. Under a sudden provocation, Thomas smashed Joseph's head with concrete blocks and iron bar. The incident occurred at 2.30 a.m. The roommates panicked and fled on seeing the attack. They were later questioned by the Palarivattom police for gathering information about the crime.

Even though Thomas confessed the crime, the police are yet to form a clear idea on what made him do it. The body of Joseph was shifted to General Hospital here for autopsy, and his relatives were alerted. Thomas was produced before Aluva Judicial First Class Magistrate court.

Myanmar national murdered

KOCHI: A Myanmarese worker was found murdered in the room, where he was staying in the city. The Palarivattom police have arrested another Myanmarese in this connection.

According to the police, Joseph, 27, who was found murdered on Thursday early morning, had met Thomas, 31, at a Bible College in Bangalore, where they were both studying theology.

Together they moved to another Bible College in Thiruvalla for higher studies a couple of years ago. They were working as part-time employees at a hotel in Palarivattom during vacation.

The two were staying at Palarivattom along with three others from West Bengal and one from Mizoram, all employees of the hotel. Under a sudden provocation, Thomas smashed Joseph's head with concrete blocks and iron bar.

The incident occurred at 2.30 a.m. The roommates panicked and fled on seeing the attack. They were later questioned by the Palarivattom police for gathering information about the crime.

Even though Thomas confessed the crime, the police are yet to form a clear idea on what made him do it.

The body of Joseph was shifted to General Hospital here for autopsy, and his relatives were alerted. Thomas was produced before Aluva Judicial First Class Magistrate court.

Chin: Refugees Abandoned By Thailand

Thailand wants to close the refugee camps for over 100,000 Burmese refugees, who have fled the country over the past twenty years


Below is an article published by Council on Foreign Relations:

According to reports by AFP and other news agencies, Thailand’s National Security Council head, Tawin Pleansri, told reporters after a meeting of the council that Thailand wants to close the refugee camps for over 100,000 Burmese refugees, who have fled the country over the past twenty years. Most of the Burmese refugees live in camps on the western Thailand-Burma border; their housing is basic, but it is better than living in eastern and northeastern Burma, where they are prey to regular campaigns of attacks and even mass rape by the Burmese military, and retribution attacks by armed ethnic militia groups. In one comprehensive report, a group focusing on Chin State in Burma documented the use of rape as a weapon of war by the Burmese military.
Thailand has never really wanted to house the Burmese refugees, but over successive administrations Bangkok has tolerated the refugee presence. Undocumented Burmese also frequently enter Thailand itself, providing a source of cheap and easily exploitable labor for many Thai companies. Now, however, Bangkok appears willing to use the fiction that Burma had a real election last fall to repatriate these refugees, most of whom will return against their will. Though the election last year may improve the quality of governance in Burma marginally, it was hardly a free or fair poll, or suggestive of the kind of dramatic change on human rights that would make it safe to return refugees.
There are other reasons for Thailand’s suddenly harder line. Leading Thai company Ital-Thai is in the process of making the largest-ever Thai investment in Myanmar, at over $13 billion. And overall, the government of PM Abhisit has tried to foster rapprochment with its neighbor. Too bad that over 100,000 refugees are going to be treated as a pawn in this relationship.

Mizoram: Complaint To Stop Forcible Eviction Of The Myanmar Origin From Phaibawk Of Vaphai Tract Group In Champhai District Of Mizoram

Hon’ble Justice Shri K.G. Balakrishanan
Chairperson National Human Rights Commission
Faridkot House, Copernicus Marg New Delhi, PIN 110001
Tel. No. 23384012 Fax No. 23384863
E-Mail: covdnhrc@nic.in, inohrc@nic.in
Subject: Complaint to stop forcible eviction of the Myanmar origin from Phaibawk of    Vaphai tract group in Champhai district of Mizoram.
Dear Justice Balakrishnan,
I am writing to seek urgent intervention of the National Human Rights Commission to stop forcible eviction of the Myanmar origin settling in Phaibawk of Vaphai tract group in Champhai district of Mizoram by the Police officials and the Vaphai VC (village Council) and YMA (Young Mizo Association). Please find enclosed family ordered to eviction at Annexure I and their children who were at the school in Annexure II
The authorities have ordered Burmese origins belonging to 23 families settling in Phaibawk area under the Vaphai village council area of Champhai district, who are not on the electoral rolls (voter’s list), to leave Mizoram by April 9. The reason is villagers in Phaibawk of Vaphai tract group in Champhai district had requested for a separate voting booth to the local authorities said by a news report.
These entire household have ration card and the Vaiphai Store keeper (Pu Rinpuia) asked the Phaibawk villagers to submit their Ration Card for issuing of new card, but those who do not have Voter ID were asked to leave their village by the Police officials according to the locals.
The eye witness said that “Champhai Police Officer-in-Charge came to us last Sunday and told us those 23 Burmese families not on the electoral rolls will be driven out of the village. Although 143 members from 23 families will not be allowed to live in the village, but the rest 43, who are children attending schools, will be allowed to continue their schooling.
Although the Vaphai VC (village Council) and YMA (Young Mizo Association) had tried to destroy the houses of those who are not on the electoral rolls in the village, Champhai OC has banned them from staying on reports by the Khonumthung News.
It is not a very fair manner that these children were allowed only to attend the school without their parents who will feed them and they will not have security and will become target and vulnerable to sexual and physical assault. It has violated the rights of the child, please take the action urgent and give their child their rights to live with their parents and their right to continued education.
Zo Indigenous Forum appeals to the NHRC to intervene by taking following measures:

• Direct the State government of Mizoram to immediately halt forcible repatriation.
• Direct the State government of Mizoram to initiate appropriate action against those individuals or organisations that were responsible for forcible repatriation of the Chin refugees under relevant provisions of Indian Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code;
• Create a separate division within the NHRC to deal with the refugee problems in India;
• Invite the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to submit its comments and views to the NHRC on the issues raised in the complaint;
• Take any other measures that the NHRC deems fit for protection of the refugees;

Looking forward to your urgent intervention.
With kind regards,
Yours sincerely
C.LALREMRUATA                                                                                                 Director                                                                                                                                               +91-9862373371/8575186174
Source: Indigenous People Issues & Resources

Burmese Army deserter stabbed in Mizoram

A deserter from the Burmese Army was stabbed by Enga while seeking refuge from Chin state in Puicheri bock of Sairang, Mizoram in northeast in India. He was admitted to the civil hospital in Aizawl capital of Mizoram with serious injuries on 13 March.

Zaw Lin (22) son of Mr. Sein Maung and Mrs. Tin Tin Kyunt was stabbed with a knife following a quarrel with Enga. He was seriously injured in his back and left hand.

“I am working as a mason and my employer sent us to gather firewood in the jungle. I requested Enga to help gather firewood so as to finish early but he refused. And then he took the firewood collected by me and prepared to return home. Suddenly he came back and stabbed me,” said Zaw Lin.

Enga escaped but the local authority and police are searching for him.

Zaw Lin was recruited into the Burmese Army, in Insein Township of Rangoon the former capital of Burma by the junta military in 2002 and he was posted in the Light Infantry Battalion (304) of Matupi, the second capital of Chin state from 2003 after military training.

Zaw Lin told Khonumthung News that he managed to escape from the Burmese Army in Matupi town to Lawntlai district of Mizoram and was ekeing out a living with odds job.
From Lawngtlai district, he shifted to Sairang village near Aizawl, this year and got a mason’s job.

“I arrived just two weeks ago in Aizawl and got a job as a mason. I am dejected because of not knowing the local dialect lying in the hospital. I am being cared for by the son of my employer, but I cannot communicate with him, because of the language problem” said Mr. Zaw Lin.

It learnt that Zaw was operated upon on 25 March and he is recovering.