Myanmar nationals divided over returning home

PETALING JAYA: Reported clashes among Myanmar nationals in Malaysia seem to have calmed down but some workers here now want to return home.

An activist from the National League of Democracy (NLD), Nyan Lin said that many Myanmar nationals were clamouring to go back home because they feared for their lives.

He said that a lot of families back in Myanmar were afraid for their loved ones and had asked them to come back home.

“Everyone is scared because of the violence, but only those with permits can go back now,” he said.

He said that even if the fighting amongst the Myanmar nationals was dying down, workers were now also afraid of being detained by Malaysian police during their operations, as they believed that even carrying legal documents would not prevent them from being detained.

Seven clashes were reported involving Myanmar nationals in Kuala Lumpur and parts of Selangor between May 30 and June 4.

Three Myanmar nationals were killed while several others were injured.

The violence is linked to recent clashes in Myanmar between Buddhists and ethnic Muslim Rohingyas in the Rakhine state.

Nyan Lin said that Myanmar nationals of different religions had co-existed peacefully for a long time prior to this.

“Myanmar is undergoing democratic changes but some groups are not satisfied. They are trying to cause problems by playing around with religion. It's a political problem and not a religious one,” he explained.

He also dismissed the influence of the radical Buddhist 969 movement in Malaysia.

There are an estimated 400,000 Myanmar nationals in Malaysia legal, illegal and refugees. Most of them are working in the restaurant and construction sectors.

Commenting on reports that Myanmar's national airline was offering half-price tickets for Myanmar nationals who wish to return home from Malaysia, Burma Campaign Malaysia president Tun Tun said it was a joke that the workers would want to go back home because of the salary difference.

“When they are working in Malaysia they can support their family. If they work in Burma, they can only support themselves,” he said.

He also alleged that the Burmese government controlled media was biased and playing up the death of the Buddhists here.

“Did they report about the Muslims who died and the many mosques that were destroyed in fires in Myanmar?” he asked.

It has been reported by irrawaddy.org that a Myanmar special delegation led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs U Zin Yaw and Deputy Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Security Daw Win Maw Tun arrived in Malaysia yesterday to help diffuse the situation.