Wilson Chowdhry visits Malaysia to meet Pakistani Christian asylum seekers

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London: May 9, 2016. (PCP) Last week Wilson Chowdhry Chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association went to Malaysia for a fact finding mission on the treatment and conditions of Pakistani Christians seeking asylum there. Malaysia as a country receives the largest amount of funding of any South-East Asian nation via the UNHCR current aid being in the region of $20,000,000. This taken into account explains why the situation faced by asylum seekers and refugees is definitely less traumatic then faced by the same asylum seekers in Thailand, a country that only receives close to $7,000,000 who we have extensively reported on. The majority of the 152,830 refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia are according to the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), from Myanmar, some 141,920, while the rest are from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Somalia, the Middle East and a small number of other countries. It is believed that approximately 3000 Pakistani Christians reside in Malaysia and make up the largest group after refugees from Myanamar. Malaysia has neither adopted the 1951 UN Refugee Convention or the 1967 protocol similar in situation with Thailand. As such refugees have no official status and are considered illegal immigrants by law. However, there is de facto acceptance of refugees under the UNHCR’s mandate, albeit without affording them any real rights. During his visit Wilson Chowdhry met with 6 indigenous pastors and 7 Pakistani pastors who are involved with Urdu Fellowships - he even squeezed in four talks at different churches to encourage asylum seekers. Whilst there he discovered that many Christian asylum seekers and refugees have relatively settled lives and have permission to work in the informal sector (cash paid low grade employment), however in most cases employment is found in the illegal black market where exploitation can occur. Accounts given of extensive working hours on extremely slight wages or no payment at all, highlight some of the risks of asylum in Malaysia. On an extremely positive note the response of the local indigenous churches who have worked hard to make better lives for large swathes of Pakistani Christians and other asylum seekers and refugees, has been far beyond expectation. The provision of education centres, food supplies, rented accommodation and advocacy help are just some of the many ways in which local churches have supported victims. Moreover they have allowed free use of church buildings for Urdu services. This is contrary to the common insouciance and reticence to help Pakistani Christians by churches in Thailand. Perhaps churches in Thailand could learn from the practice of those based in Malaysia who have exhibited a great passion to help the oppressed. However in fairness Christians do make up 10% of the population of Pakistan and their churches have enjoyed a longer established period, and hence churches have the resources and manpower to assist. Irrespective of the large number of Pakistani Christians who have managed to get steady employment including some who have achieved business visa's making it legal for them to gain full employment, there are still many suffering abject poverty. There are families squeezing into tiny rooms albeit they have a separate shared living room area which is a boon when compared to Pak-Christians in Thailand. Moreover, many hundreds of children have no access to formal education, they are not permitted to use public schools and private schools are well beyond the means of deprived asylum seekers and refugees. The UNHCR funds groups to operate local schools but these are small ill equipped and receive little financial support from the UNHCR - all are struggling to make ends meet. Refugees have also complained about the intimidation they felt through the use of an entirely Muslim interpreter service by the UN. Moreover some have alleged that Muslim interpreters are intentionally undermining their applications for asylum through poor or incorrect translation. There is also a belief that local Pakistani Muslim's are stirring up hatred towards Pakistani Christians. One of the Pastor's Wilson met with was Lukes (pronounced Lucas) Chnann who has initiated an educational institute named "Dignity for Children Foundation." Dignity is also operating a local Urdu fellowship - one of many similar churches beginning to proliferate in Malaysia. In 2014 the group applied to the UNHCR for registration as a (CBO) Community Based Organization and UNHCR ratified their request. The group is now known as Hope for Pakistani Refugees (HPR). With the help of some private donors and and a local church they now have a small school operation of 40 children which also operates as a community centre. Sadly some local Muslim's in the predominantly Islamic nation have taken offence to his work for Christians and have started to react to his work. Lukes Chnann has alleged that on the evening of 20-04-2016 he received a threatening call related to his work. He said (sic): "in that call they were abusing me and using harsh words and said to me the Muslim people are looking for me. They were demanding [That I give them] Pakistani Christian asylum seekers and refugees contact numbers and address. I was shocked because I won't be able to do this. I consulted my well-wisher's and community members, they suggested me to inform UNHCR, so I registered my application to OPI department on 21-04-2016." The angst against Pastor Lukes and his community began after an allegation of blasphemy by one of the parishioners Pastor Lukes cares for. A local Pakistani Christian apologist Mufti Zia recorded a video that spoke against Muhammad and released it on his Facebook ID and on YouTube. The caller held Pastor Lukes responsible for the video. In recent days a Muslim man named Nazar Hussian has filmed his own video and has uploaded this onto his Facebook account. In the video he has displayed the UNHCR identity card of Lukes Chnann which also contains and image of the terrified pastor. In the video he describes the alleged blasphemy of Mufti Zia and claims that Pastor Lukes is responsible for the act of blasphemy and encouraging Christians to do so and that he is protecting Mufti Zia. Pastor Lukes professes his innocence, he added: "In five years I met him [Mufti Zia] only three times. He is not our community member he is not my relative even he is not my friend or our church member. Now me and my family life is at risk, I have received death threats. Since 20-04-2016 I am at home I am not going for work I am not going out. My children and wife still at home, children are not going to school. We keep on moving to different places [each] night [to] stay [away] from unseen danger. Sir I can hide myself in this situation for few days but cannot hide me and my family like this long time, my kids are very small." Pastor Chnann has told the BPCA that he fears for his life. Protecting a blasphemer is equivalent to blasphemy to extremists. He has little knowledge of the person and whereabouts of Muft Zia and believes he is being unfairly targeted by the extremists seeking revenge. Moreover he is also concerned that little help is being provided by the UNHCR to better protect him forma potential backlash and the Pakistani Muslim community in the country are responding to the video posted by Nazar Hussain and threatening to kill Pastor Lukes and his family. From the response from Pakistani Christians it would seem that the level of arrests of visa overstayers is low especially when compared to the same treatment of asylum seekers in Thailand. However, none of the groups met with could provide any definitive data, as groups work in isolation and often Christian families fear sharing their concerns with the wider community. We intend to revisit Malaysia and secure meetings with the UNCHR obtaining clear data on estimated figures for the Pakistani Christian asylum community based there - we will also visits prisons in an attempt to gauge the number of victims arrested. Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association, said: "There is a dire need for support for the asylum seeker children in Malaysia. Schools are inadequate provide extremely basic education and serve only a small fraction of the thousands of children needing formal education. A generation will be lost." He added: "The inability of the UNHCR in Thailand and Malaysia are failing Pakistani Christians through their lack of provision of Christian Urdu interpreters. Without such a facilitation how can the UNHCR possibly state that their asylum process is fair? Alleged feelings of intimidation and negative contrivance in undermining asylum claims by interpreters create doubt and suspicion in regards to the intent of the UNHCR. Cancellations and postponements of interviews and determination dates have left Pakistani Christians demoralised, replicating the delays in Thailand UNHCR Malaysia are leaving tehse victims stranded for up to 6 years."

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