Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07KUALALUMPUR1659
2007-11-30 01:13:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Cable title:  

UNHCR WARY OF NEW ROLE FOR "RELA" AUXILIARIES IN

Tags:  PREF PGOV PREL PHUM PINS MY 
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VZCZCXRO9676
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH
DE RUEHKL #1659 3340113
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 300113Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0308
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 1533
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1051
C O N F I D E N T I A L KUALA LUMPUR 001659 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/MTS AND PRM -- EILEEN SEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/26/2017
TAGS: PREF PGOV PREL PHUM PINS MY
SUBJECT: UNHCR WARY OF NEW ROLE FOR "RELA" AUXILIARIES IN
DETENTION CENTERS

REF: KUALA LUMPUR 1362 - UNHCR BRIEF ON REFUGEE

SITUATION

Classified By: Classified By: Political Section Chief Mark Clark for re
asons 1.4 (b and d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUALA LUMPUR 001659

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/MTS AND PRM -- EILEEN SEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/26/2017
TAGS: PREF PGOV PREL PHUM PINS MY
SUBJECT: UNHCR WARY OF NEW ROLE FOR "RELA" AUXILIARIES IN
DETENTION CENTERS

REF: KUALA LUMPUR 1362 - UNHCR BRIEF ON REFUGEE

SITUATION

Classified By: Classified By: Political Section Chief Mark Clark for re
asons 1.4 (b and d).


1. (C) United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Representative in Malaysia Volker Turk briefed Ambassador
Keith on November 23 regarding UNHCR operations in Malaysia,
and UNHCR's central role in U.S. resettlement processing for
Burmese refugees. Turk expressed his concern with the
Malaysian Government's reported decision to delegate the
staffing of 14 immigration detention facilities to the
People's Volunteer Corps (RELA),a government-sponsored
public security auxiliary force under the Ministry of Home
Affairs. According to press reports, RELA's role at the
detention centers would last up to two years, providing the
Immigration Department time to recruit and train additional
staff. UNHCR, NGOs, and refugees continue to report that
largely untrained and poorly supervised RELA volunteers
commit abuses against refugees, considered illegal migrants
under Malaysian law, in the course of raids against
undocumented aliens. Volker worried that further abuses may
occur if RELA exercises responsibility over the detention
centers. Turk offered that reform of Malaysia's immigration
policy and training of RELA members by Malaysia's Human
Rights Commission, SUHAKAM, may mitigate the occurrences of
abuses and targeting of refugees. Turk also suggested that
the UN Human Rights Council's new Universal Periodic Review,
with Malaysia scheduled for 2009, may provide an opportunity
to promote incremental reform given that the GOM is often
very sensitive to criticism that it is acting outside of UN
norms.


2. (C) Ambassador Keith informed Turk that he would take the
opportunity in his early calls on the Malaysian government
(GOM),after presentation of credentials, to express U.S.
concerns over GOM policies that impact refugees and U.S.
resettlement efforts. The Ambassador expressed support for
advancing the idea of immigration reform with the GOM, while
recognizing the wide-ranging sensitivities this issue
represents for the GOM. Ambassador Keith agreed with Turk
that seeking a pragmatic solution with the GOM might provide
the best results, and he reaffirmed USG support for the UNHCR
in Malaysia and for UNHCR's essential role in U.S.
resettlement efforts.


3. (C) Comment: The GOM is resistant to relaxing any of its
formal policies regarding refugees for fear of creating
uncontrollable pull-factors into Malaysia. In addition, the
government is largely unable to address refugees issues
separate from wider concerns over the possibility of
unchecked migration. Reference to international expectations
and UN standards, possibly including the new UNHCR review
process, provides some leverage we can use to influence the
GOM's behavior toward refugees. The Ambassador and Embassy
officers, in coordination with UNHCR, will raise our concerns
over RELA's new role at immigration detention centers in
upcoming meetings with Malaysian officials. We also are
working with missions from other resettlement nations,
including Norway, Sweden, New Zealand and the Netherlands, to
coordinate our messages and approach to the GOM on refugee
protection. We will include the topic of RELA in this
multilateral effort.


KEITH