Burmese refugees demand a life in Delhi Jayashree Nandi,TNN | Oct 16, 2014, 06.32 AM IST timesofindia.indiatimes/city/delhi/Burmese-refugees-demand-a-life-in-Delhi/articleshow/44831815.cms NEW DELHI: Chin refugees from Myanmar who have been living in Delhi for years now are protesting appalling living conditions, lack of treatment for seriously ill and dearth of jobs and safety. They have been camping in front of United Nations High Commission for Refugees office in Vasant Vihar since Monday. The chief of mission has now agreed to see them on Friday. Delhi has over 8,000 Burmese refugees, some of whom live on subsistence allowance. The others do odd jobs for a living. The Chin, a Christian-majority group many of whose members have left Myanmar owing to persecution, claim the military continues to be powerful there. With ethnic strife and human rights violations rampant, going back for them is not an option. Many have harrowing tales of escape. They typically walk for over a week to enter India through Mizoram. I lost my father before we decided to leave Myanmar in 2008. He went to a place called Falam. The soldiers were already chasing him, so Im not sure what happened to him. When soldiers started coming to our house everyday, my mother, siblings and I decided to leave. But life has been difficult. Many of us dont have jobs. I somehow managed to join a call centre. United Nations is supposed to give each of us two dollars and 10 cents daily, but most dont get that, Mawimawi (22) said. Many protesters have faced physical abuse, assault, molestation and even threat to life. Zar Zothangi (43), who lives with her daughter in Janakpuri, moved to Delhi in 2010 after the military suspected her of trying to convert someone to Christianity. But after escaping a life in which she was unable to practice her religion freely, she was allegedly molested in Delhi. When I came here, my purse was stolen and the thieves molested me. Even at the ice cream packaging factory where I work, some male workers tried to attack me. I dont feel safe here and worry for my daughter, she said. Zo earns Rs 2,500 per month but the rent for her house is Rs 3,000. She has been dipping into her meagre savings. The Chin Refugee Committee claimed that 99% of Burmese refugees earn much less than Delhis statutory minimum wage of Rs 8,554. Their average monthly earning is Rs 4,500. There are more than 30 refugees suffering from Hepatitis B who need help immediately. Most have no other licence to work other than the blue UNHCR card, which is why their small businesses are disallowed by corporations. Lian Khan Mang (40), who used to be a farmer in Myanmar, has hepatitis but doctors at G B Pant Hospital have suggested more tests. I cant pay for them. My wife who works in a factory is the sole breadwinner. We pay Rs 3,000 for rent, Mang said. Herhluan (70), one of the seniormost refugees in Delhi, has been here for 11 years. I worked for a shipping company in Yangon. My pension is Rs 30 in Indian currency. I had to sell my house in Yangon to come to India. I cant hear properly and have health problems, he said. According to Human Rights Law Network, India is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and so the protection of refugees is confined to ad hoc measures taken by the Centre, leaving them with few civil, political or legal rights. ----------------------- Kukiforum News kukiforum Facebook: https://facebook/pages/Kuki-International-Forum/640552049301144 __._,_.___
Posted on: Fri, 17 Oct 2014 04:14:36 +0000