US delegation comes to listen to the plight of migrants, refugees

A delegation from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) were in Malaysia from August 9 to 14

Aug 26, 2015

Meeting the Rohingya refugees from Rohingya Society Malaysia

By Lucia Lai and Anil Netto
A delegation from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) were in Malaysia from August 9 to 14. Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, who was part of the Delegation said, “We would like to experience first hand, the suffering and pressures faced by Migrants and Refugees so we do an assessment trip to different places once a year. By working with the church leaders and civil leaders, we listen and assess what we can do to accommodate these people, and how to integrate them into society.”

The USCCB arrived in Malaysia as part of a broader trip to express solidarity with bishops and other Catholic Church leaders in the region. Malaysia was the third nation the delegation was visiting, after stints in Burma and Thailand. Their next stop was Indonesia. The USCCB representatives were Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, auxiliary bishop of Seattle and Chair of the Committee on Migration (COM), Bishop Oscar Cantu, Chair Committee on International Justice and Peace (CIJP), Kevin Appleby, Director of Policy and Public Affairs, Kristyn Peck, Associate Director of Children’s Services and Matthew Wilch, Refugee Policy Advisor and Virginia Farris, Foreign Policy Advisor.

The delegation started off with morning Mass at the Church of the Lady of Sorrows in Penang where Fr David Reagon OFM Cap was joined by Bishop Eusebio Elizondo who gave a brief homily. They then visited the International Catholic Migration Committee office (ICMC) meeting human trafficking victims and refugees who are part of the Rohingya Women’s Protection Corp (RWPC). They shared their stories of victimization and were emotional as they recounted their experiences.

The USSCB representatives then had a briefing on the work of the Rohingya Women’s Protection Corp (RWPC) by Melani Yeoh the ICMC Coordinator, where they learnt the role of the RWPC.

The Delegation later had a luncheon discussion with representatives of the International Catholic Migration Commission, the Penang Stop Human Trafficking Campaign, migrant rights group Tenaganita and Doctors without Borders. Activists were concerned that not enough is being done to curb regional human trafficking, which is a lucrative ‘business’ in these parts. They also believe that there has not been enough pressure on Myanmar to recognize the rights of the Rohingya.

A harrowing account of the discovery of mass graves at Wang Kelian, inside the Malaysia border with Thailand, by S. Arulldas, a Malaysian Catholic was shared during the discussion. Arulldas discovered these graves following his investigations into the murders of Myanmar Buddhist nationals in Penang towards the end of 2013. The murders were apparently in retaliation for the killings in the Muslim-Buddhist conflict in Rakhine, Myanmar, he said. The bodies of about 30 people were found in Penang over several months in 2014. Police eventually arrested a group of about 20 suspects last December. Along with the USSCB representatives, Penang Bishop Sebastian Francis, Penang Bishop emeritus Anthony Selvanayagam, local priests and about 20 representatives of migrant ministries in the Penang diocese were present during the briefing.

A meeting with the leaders and urban refugees of the Rohingya Society Malaysia (RSM) was next for the group as they looked to find out the condition of the Rohingya community in Penang. Approximately 20 Rohingyas were present and they related their personal experiences, the challenges they faced and their present problems. A problem that was a source of constant worry was the lack of medical aid which they could not afford

Total Comments:0

Name
Email
Comments