Government refutes Myanmar refugee’s allegations

By MAZWIN NIK ANIS, RAHIMY RAHIM and SHAUN HO

THE Government has denied allegations by a Myanmar refugee who claimed in a foreign media that he was wrongfully detained for three months and caned last year despite possessing a refugee card.

The card, he added, was issued by the United Nations High Commis­sioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

HRW urges UN not to endorse Australia-Malaysia refugee swap

26-Jul-11, 11:22 AM | Agence France-Presse

KUALA LUMPUR – Human Rights Watch has urged the United Nations (UN) not to endorse the Malaysia-Australia refugee swap, warning it could erode protection for asylum seekers across the Asia-Pacific region.

Under the agreement signed in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, Malaysia will take 800 asylum seekers who have arrived in Australia by boat, in return for Canberra accepting 4,000 processed refugees for resettlement.

Protest in KL against refugee swap deal

July 25, 2011

A small demonstration was held outside the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in KL this afternoon to protest against the signing of an Australia-Malaysia refugees-for-asylum seekers swap deal.

Photograph: Fadiah Nadwa

Refugees a growing challenge

By Ty Tagami

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A military junta in Myanmar, civil war in Nepal, factional fighting in Somalia.

These places and their problems may seem far away, but the turmoil there and elsewhere around the globe has reached metro Atlanta schools. A growing number of refugees have come to Georgia in recent years, with most settling in and around DeKalb County. By law, they deserve an education.

Their relative numbers are small: about 3 percent of the DeKalb County School System’s student body, according to school and state records. But the growth in percentage terms is not: DeKalb counted 2,627 refugee students in June, an increase of about 150 percent from the 2006-07 school year.

Advice for UNHCR card holders regarding the “6P” programme announced by the Government of Malaysia

The “6P” programme is a proposed system to manage migrants in general in Malaysia. There have been media announcements that refugees could be affected by this, and UNHCR is liaising with the Government of Malaysia on any areas that could affect refugees, and will continue to be involved in any issues related to the protection of refugees in this regard.