Personal Thailand Blog believes it’s time to implement some reforms in Thailand’s railway system:

Well the rail way staff is striking because they do not want the government to reform them or rather the power people in the top does not want that…Do not get me wrong i do not want them to get private and sold out but please get some new lines going, sell of some land and do not cry strike every time you do not get what you want.

Because of the strike, thousands of passengers were forced to ride a bus. Yi Chin was one of the affected railway passengers:

Thais can have strike whenever they want to. We planned to take the train from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi to visit the Death Railway. But the train station staffs are on strike hoping that they will be able to get pay rise. We have to switch to riding bus.

State Railway of Thailand. From the Flickr page of Ian Fuller

So would privatisation of the SRT be good for Thailand and the travelling public? On the one hand it might well lead to a cleaner more efficient service but on the other hand fares would inevitable rise, which would be of grave concern to many less wealthy Thais who rely on the system to provide cheap and in some cases free railway travel throughout Thailand.

A survey shows that majority of Thais are upset with the strike. A sample of Twitter reactions in Bangkok about the train strike:

da_mike: The big CHANGE should come to SRT. I don't agree with the union at this time.
siampearl: have train strike, look like this government agency has no profit for 10 years but the workers want more pay, logical..my taxes..no problem
jakeneedham: There's a nationwide rail strike in Thailand today complete with angry-workers-against-the-bosses rhetoric evoking the US in the 1950's.
obruch: Nationwide strike halts all trains. Many passengers left stranded. Thailand is trying hard to boost the tourism…..
da_mike: Railway union deserve to be complained from passengers. Strike is not bad but they should tell passengers in advance.

In a previous story we talked about Egyptian telco Orascom helping launch a 3G mobile network in North Korea. Last week several press reports claimed that internet access is now available on this network. There is a lively discussion on at nkeconwatch.com on just what type of content is available on this network and if the access is to the full internet or is it a limited intranet of sorts. I found one comment by a visitor to North Korea that gives us a glimpse of wider internet in the secretive nation.

Also interesting, a trendy local college girl we met in the hotel bar told us that she used to have Internet at home and that in the 2004-2005 timeframe she had been doing Internet dating. She would find a boy online and have him show up at a public place near her apartment block. Spying on him from above, if she didn’t like the way he looked, she would not come out to meet him. The Internet service was suspended in the 2005-2006 time-frame and she was very unhappy about that. She liked the Internet, regardless of the limited and NK-specific services that may have been available.

Nokia's Ovi Store

Nokia launched it's version of app store  called Ovi store. Nokia phone users can now register on this store and buy apps for their mobiles. Tech bloggers are comparing Nokia's attempt to Apple's offering.  Medianama, an Indian tech blog compares the usability of Ovi store to Apple's app store

Nokia has a substantial number of handsets in the market, each has its own form factor and operating system. Consumers won’t exactly be pleased when a particular application isn’t available for theirs. That’s where the iPhone App store has an advantage, since it’s the same OS, and just one type of app. In that context, Nokia’s reach doesn’t quite appear to be the advantage one thought it was.

Malaysia Mobile Tech News talks about another challenge facing Nokia app store initiative

However, it is difficult to achieve what Apple has done with the AppStore, simply because Apple didn’t give software publishers a choice when it started selling the iPhone - either sell through the AppStore or via very-limited-reach third party means (meaning Cydia and the Cydia Store, if you’re familiar with the iPhone). Nokia didn’t start off this way - every software publisher sold through their own website, or another mobile software e-marketplace, and to force “coerce” them to now come under the Ovi Store to the exclusion of every other avenue is an impossible task. After all, what’s the compelling reason for them to move over to the Ovi Store?

See also: Nigeria now Number 9 on Opera Mini Global Chart

Web Services

While access of any sort is a good news in North Korea, netizens in Vietnam are lamenting the loss of a popular online service - Yahoo 360. Taitran in Vietnam describes the feeling in Vietnam after Yahoo announced that it would be closing the service.

Google was busy at its developer event giving away free Android phones and launching a new product called Wave.

Singapore based elearningpost writes how Wave is more than a groupware application that other vendors are selling.

The Wave is not just another application, it's a whole new way of using online information. If you have not seen the demo yet, you should. The Wave takes collaboration to a whole new level. When I was watching the collaboration demo, I felt the entire experience was more like an extension into multiple minds rather than the 'switch-type' collaboration we see in the likes of Sharepoint and Lotus Notes. The engagement just felt more organic, more emergent, more fun.

Also from Singapore,  Rambling Librarian analyzes how Google Wave can be used by librarians to  “transform the way we provide Enquiry and Advisory services. Or how we research, collaborate and publish documents”.

Tech entrepreneur Jonathan Gosier at Appfrica and based in Uganda isconcerned about the usability of the product in low bandwidth situations.

Of course, I have to point out that all this real-time communication stuff only matters to the fraction of people on the planet with good bandwidth. Here in Uganda, I’m so glad when an email actually makes it out of the queue that I don’t even bother to think about ‘rewinding’ conversations and dragging and dropping video! In all seriousness, it’s this reduction in basic utility for all users that worries me. Most Google’ products are by-in-large accessible no matter what kind of computer you’re on (except maybe Google Earth). With Wave they seem to be going down a path that might be a little more exclusive in nature. Not a deal-breaker but a concern none-the-less.

See also: The Startups That Rocked UnConference 2009 (Singapore), Indiblogger State of the Indian blogosphere report for May 2009 (India)

Events

Web designers in Vietnam had their WebcampSaigon 1 event that Fresco2.0 describes as a “a dedicated community by designers for designers”. Fresco2.0 has pictures and presentations from the event.

Neighboring Thailand had its Barcamp at the Sripatum university in Bangkok that also attracted technogists from Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Hong Kong. The two day events had people talking about web 2.0, design, databases, content management systems, social media and hardware hacks. Some of the participants stayed overnight at the venue, coding and hacking. The presentations are at the Barcamp Bangkok 3 Slideshare page. Here is one from Kulawat about Agile.

Not every thing was tech though. Vietnamese delegate Huy Zing conducted a Salsa dancing session.

31o5 has a collection of great images from the event.

Earlier in May, Tokyo tech enthusiasts held their Barcamp. Participants gathered at Sun's Yoga office and talked about tech startups in Japan, Twitter, Japanese popular culture among other things. One of the popular session was a demo of Solaris Live USB creator by Hiroshi Chonan. Hiroshi is the developer of this utility that lets PC users try the Open Solaris operating system without going through an installation. In the video below a fellow Sun presenter points out why this live usb creator is important for the distribution of Open Solaris.

Another gadget that you see a lot in Tokyo tech events these days is the Poken. It  looks like a USB drive and come in cool designs. You can store your contact information on a Poken and then exchange it with someone else just by placing your Poken next to another one. Here you see attendees at Tokyo barcamp networking with their pokens.

If you are in India, and working on a tech startup, the proto.in event would interest you. Amit Mittal at venturewoods.org writes

What got me excited though is the 3 day bootcamp that Proto.in is putting together. Day one will focus on diving into the business plan you have for the company, and combing through all the fine details. Day two, they teach you and groom you on how best to deliver a pitch (some advertising guys coming in here to help.) Day three, is all about the stage — well known event management company “BuzzWorks” will teach you how to handle yourself in front of the camera, what to do and what not to do when in a public forum.

Sydney tech enthusiasts have also announced a “recession” edition barcamp to be held on the 27th of June. Their new activity this time round is the Think Tank room.

Finally, we have a new idea for a few of the sessions - the Think Tank room. The Think Tank room is a small room with no projector and no tech - just enough room for a small group of people discussing ideas. And what better ideas to discuss than ideas about the future.

See also: Make Tokyo Meeting 03: Where You Can See Future, Magic And Junk In A Place

Reacting to news reports about the discovery of a swine flu case in Malaysia, Nuraina A Samad fears the worst:

we know that there are those other passengers on the two flights who have not reported to the health officers. And multiply that by the number of people they have come into contact with….and so on and so forth. Scary, isn't it?

But…aaah, to think that just two weeks ago, the Swine Flu, — whoops, Influenza A or the H1N1 virus — was way yonder in far far Mexico.

Before you could say la Cucaracha, it flu to the US, Canada……and now it's here.

Othman bin Hj. Ahmad thinks it is already too late for Malaysia to contain the virus:

With the limited success in quarantining all passengers or people in contact with swine flu confirmed cases, coupled with the delay in testing and confirming these swine flu cases, it is too late to contain this swine flu.

Please note that many swine flu cannot be detected with these tests and many now appear like normal flu except that they are not resistant to Tamilflu unlike the normal flu in US. Malaysian normal flu may vary.

aeqmal onetale thinks Singapore should be doubly alert now that Malaysia already has a swine flu case:

Singapore has lowered its flu alert level from ‘Orange’ to ‘Yellow’; but Malaysia has just announced it’s first swine flu case yesterday afternoon. It’s not time yet to party and do keep your personal hygiene in check.

Thailand has confirmed that swine flu has entered the country as well. More than 20 people with flu symptoms are under surveillance. Not the Nation features a satirical article about the presence of “swird flu” in Thailand

The precautionary measure was based on speculation that a pig with swine flu spending time with a chicken with bird flu could lead to the outbreak of a new flu virus he called “swird flu”.

Cambodia is on alert after Thailand confirmed its 1st swine flu case. Recently, Cambodia is monitoring the health of three Cambodian-Americans who tested positive for swine flu. Meanwhile, a Vietnamese air passenger was quarantined in South Korea after exhibiting symptoms of being positive with the dreaded virus.

For want of a better title reminds us that there are deadlier diseases than swine flu:

If youre worried about H1N1, Don’t. There are 5 more deadlier diseases that are more virulent and have a better chance of killing you. Think Dengue, Ebola, AIDS, Cholera and Spinal Meningitis. I mean cholera has been around forever, and dengue is among us. I think I would worry about those a lot more.

See leong Kit warns against communal eating in Singapore. To prevent the spread of A(H1N1), he proposes the following:

-Health Promotion Board should mount an effective campaign to educate Singaporeans on “Eat The Hygienic Way” (using serving spoons) to complement its on-going efforts on ”Eat The Healthy Way” (more fruits and vegetables).

-National Environment Agency, using its licensing clout, to issue a compulsory directive for hawkers and restaurants to provide serving spoons automatically.

The Philippines has two swine flu cases already. The dominant Catholic Church is thinking of banning the holding of hands during mass as a measure against the spread of swine flu.

As the swine flu scare continues to grow, more and more people are getting paranoid about eating pork. This may explain why Cambodia’s rat meat exports to Vietnam are increasing in record numbers.

Singapore:

andrewong2024: Swine flu will now be called H1N1… The pigs are innocent. I'm having pork chop for lunch later!
tealeafs: Bad mood. Burning throat. Troubled mind. Unsettled feeling. Kinda broke. Swine flu, melting ice-caps, falling economy … pizz off. Gdnite
maxteo: SG Army banning their personnel from going to HK, Macau just because HK is under the affected list now with 1 confirmed with swine flu.
feministmentor: RT @gssq “90 people get the swine flu and everyone wants to wear a mask. Millions get HIV, and no one wants to wear a condom”
lemonadediets: just discover a way to fight the swine flu using the traditional chinese herbs.. a chinese experienced doc just shared it wif me.

Malaysia:

ranbutan93: Staying at home.Afraid that swine flu finally hitting home.Helping sister doing history.Anybody know bout the LoN?
Almahera: I don't know anyone who calls it H1N1. It's still swine flu to most of us. Doesn't make any difference anyways. Like changing ITM to UITM.
mikefoong: if I am perspiring. It's a good thing means no swine flu. When I am sneezing you better run. I can sneeze quite loud. :P
nocturnale: If I were a swine flu virus, I would only infect my dishonest, lying, duplicitous nemesis.
syooq: just got a scare that the westerners-imported SWINE FLU (or SELSEMA BABI we Malaysians called it) has find its way into Asia…yikessss!!!

Indonesia:

aulia: A maid who arrived in Surabaya from Taiwan is the 1st suspected Indonesian swine flu carrier according to #metrotv (via @wolwol)
fujitasenpai: RT @BrandingComm: Rebranding Idea: instead of “Swine Flu” how about “Hamdemic”, “Aporkalypse” or “Snoutbreak”?
antonnyliem: Dimsum@ taipan. Yummy! Unfortunately because of the swine flu all pork has been replaced with beef. Poor porky.
cindywombywomby: @tear96 haha xD my friend thought swine flu means swan flu lol
jovitwiggy: I could go another 10 years without hearing the words “swine flu” again. Seriously people, there's better news. What's Britney doing?

Philippines:

lindtdale: It's crazy to travel nowadays. impossible for you not to get harassed at the airport because of the swine flu. FAIL.
keanoidd: Obesity is the real swine flu.
eybiay: wishes that the suspected swine flu case in Cebu is not true. :(
acieissobloggin: im afraid of pork right now but im much terrified that swine flu is going to hit the country anytime. and hey,we're not in any way prepared
danni_cj: I hate it when I turn on the news and find people being paranoid about this swine flu and realize that they remind me so MUCH of myself.

Thailand:

ktardwut: When i told my roommate i was sick she nearly ran from the room while asking me if i had swine flu. Lmfao. Paranoid much
aardvarksilver: Swine flu….still? At least it takes our minds off the economy for a while.LOL
stickmanbkk: Hope I dont get the Swine Flu. I got wasted in the naughty Bangkok bars last night. Woke up this morning to find a pig sleeping next to me.
zen_global: is “swine flu” the latest in global population control?

So far there have been no high profile cases of individuals acquiring the dreaded H1N1 virus. But there are rumors that a “swine flu” case has been detected in Malaysia. The Professional Bum also writes about a suspected H1N1 virus outbreak in Malaysia:

A Malaysian acquaintance shared with me over dinner how he lost an uncle to Swine Influenza. He mentioned some very compelling details with regard to how errant Muslim members of government service might have contributed to the global-wide Swine Flu Crisis. While I cannot ascertain the authenticity of his claims, his account is highly plausible. I don't think anyone would just lie about a relative dying.

Singapore has implemented various measures to prevent the entry of H1N1 virus in the global city state. This message is displayed in the Singapore Public Library:

NOTICE : NLB is monitoring the H1N1 Flu situation closely and is following the Ministry of Health guidelines on the precautionary measures to take. Library users are advised to adhere to the precautionary measures set out by MOH in the interest of public health.

Photo from the blog of Melon Syrup

A Facebook fan page was created to instruct Singaporeans about the virus. DK writes

No, I’m not going to be a fan of Influenza A (H1N1). Why should I be a fan of a virus that is spreading in the wild and killing hundreds of people?

OK, jokes aside. Although the term used in Facebook might not be the most suitable, being a “fan” of Influenza A (H1N1) in Facebook isn’t that bad. That facebook page is setup to keep us informed about the latest happening on Influenza A (H1N1).

Mr. Wang Says So explains why Singapore is vulnerable to the virus outbreak

The problem isn't merely that we are the most globalised country in Southeast Asia. The problem is also that Singapore is the second-most crowded country in the world.

absolutely Bangkok reports how the Thai government is using the “swine flu” scare to win some diplomatic points

It’s flabbergasting how fervently the Thai government embraces the swine flu, - in a globally acclaimed attempt to show that a) Thailand is clean; b) Thailand is very safe to travel to (to fill those emptied tourism coffers again; c) Thailand will host a regional swine flu summit (to reenter the world of international politics); to d) divert from the political mess; to e) have an Asean photo opp after the Pattaya fiasco; and to finally f) quietly celebrate that other countries can be humiliated too.

Spruiked criticizes Indonesian authorities for spreading false information about the H1N1 virus

It is embarrassing how stupid we have become. Proof? In reaction to the outbreak of swine flu, the Government has banned pork imports. Um, the virus is spread by humans!

My Busy Brain, also from Indonesia, blogs about the “swine mentality” of many leaders in the country

Until when will Indonesians be a laughing stock for the foreigners? Until when will the government stop coming up with stupid statements?

The reaction of people to swine flu is even more entertaining though silly, and as expected, they blame that pigs are ‘haram’ anyways so stop consuming pork. It seems like the blind leading the blind here, doesn’t it, and wonder how this rich country is managed. Pretty scary.

Tan Kin Lian's Blog from Malaysia thinks the reactions of some people are exaggerated

A few friends have cancelled their overseas holidays, losing the money that they paid for the tours. It is rather wasteful and the risk is quite low. Perhaps, they are alarmed by the coverage in our newspapers and the advisory given by our Government.

Out of my mind from the Philippines reminds authorities that more measures are needed to secure the health of Filipinos

Installing controls at airport terminals cannot be the extent of our response to the swine flu pandemic because lest we forget, we are an archipelago composed of more than 7,000 islands and that not everyone who enters the country goes through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport where the high-tech equipment to detect higher body temperatures is located. Also, it might help to be reminded that we have back doors in the south as well as a number of ports that are open to international and regional voyagers.

Clearly, relying purely on control measures in a few terminals is not enough. It probably assuages some people suffering from extreme paranoia but we must not lose sight of the fact that prevention is always a far better and more effective course of action than control. The best way not to get infected is to protect one’s self against being infected rather than putting the responsibility solely in the hands of other people such as government.

Noting that virus outbreaks in the past involve animals - mad cow disease, foot-and-mouth, chicken flu and now swine flu – a blogger suggests that we go vegetarian.

According to AFP reports, a senate official stated:

US Senate foreign relations committee staff are reviewing reports of extortion and human trafficking from Burmese and other migrants in Malaysia, allegedly at the hands of Malaysia government officials… The allegations include assertions that Burmese and other migrants - whether or not they have UNHCR documentation– are taken from Malaysian government detention facilities and transported to the Thailand-Malaysia border.

According to the allegations, money is demanded from them at the border, or they are turned over to human traffickers in southern Thailand. However, that Malaysia might be a hotspot of human trafficking is not a new development. Veteran opposition leader, Mr Lim Kit Siang, posted on his blog that Malaysia was included in the United States Government’s 2007 Trafficking In Persons (TIP) Report in the Tier 3 list of the worst human trafficking offenders in June 2007.

Photo courtesy of Adli Ghazali

Mr Charles Santiago, Opposition politician, stated on his blog:

The recent news report stating that the US Senate is investigating allegations of Malaysian officials extorting money from foreign migrants are linked to human trafficking comes as no surprise.

I had raised this issue in Parliament last year with regards to the Burmese refugees, together with human rights organisations like Tenaganita and the Migration Working Group. But the Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar had only glossed over the matter… responding in a typical fashion, Syed Hamid in a reply to my question in Parliament said that a special committee formed by the Immigration Department to investigate claims contained in the programme had found that immigration officials were not involved in trafficking of the Burmese or other refugees.

Either Syed Hamid is naive enough to buy the story dished out by the Immigration Department, which had set-up a special team to investigate its own officers. Or he is desperate to ensure Malaysia does not receive bad press worldwide.

Photo courtesy of M.A.M09

Santiago went on to say:

The refugees live in fear of being caught by the immigration authorities and being deported to their countries of origin, to face political persecution, despite holding UNHCR cards.

They are constantly harassed by Rela* officers, a volunteer force, who are known to constantly be on the prowl for migrants and refugees. They even burn down make-shift homes of refugees in jungles.

If arrested, the migrants and asylum-seekers are lumped together in tiny immigration detention cells where flogging is the main form of punishment.

In short refugees live in a limbo in the country as Malaysia is yet to ratify the 1951 Refugee Convention. This means, the government does not need to officially recognise the refugees or the UNHCR documents that they carry.

It also, unfortunately, means that the government can shut a blind eye to allegations of abuse of power by immigration officers who make quick bucks extorting money from the refugees. Those who cannot pay off the extortionists are sold to brothels, fishing boats or as bonded labourers.

Meanwhile the refugees and migrants who are still in the country live in appalling conditions without proper sanitation facilities, housing, food and medicine. They and their children depend on handouts and the goodwill of others.

‘Miniaturz', on the Star newspapers' blog facility, stated:

It is to my personal hope that the US will be able to prove that the Malaysian Immigration personnels are involved in human trafficking. Although I do not approve of illegal immigrants in Malaysia, but the alleged modus operandi of the Malaysian Immigration is deliberate in nature to allow the abuse of subsequently detained illegal immigrants…

So, once again - the hypocrisy of the Malaysian Government is exposed big time. They talk about aiding the people from certain countries but right in our own country, fellow human beings are being treated like slaves for monetary purposes.

That Myanmar refugees and undocumented migrant workers face hardship is well known among Malaysians. Most urbanites, or at least those involved in civil society, are also aware of the allegations of abuse and torture in Malaysia's detention camps. That Malaysia is a ‘hotspot' for human trafficking appears to be the logical next-step in the unfortunate sequence.

Photo courtesy of Adli Ghazali

In response to the investigation, the Home Ministry typically responded that Malaysia was not liable for any wrongdoing in the matter. Santiago stated on his blog:

… Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar had responded in ‘typical fashion’ in Parliament on the matter by announcing the formation of a special committee to investigate the claims, which were first exposed last year by private television network NTV7.

As predicted, it was “found” that immigration officials were not involved in trafficking of the Burmese or other refugees.

This came despite testimonials to the contrary from numerous migrant rights’ non-governmental organisations as well as the victims themselves.

“Either Syed Hamid is naive enough to buy the story dished out by the Immigration Department, which had set-up a special team to investigate its own officers or he is desperate to ensure Malaysia does not receive bad press worldwide,” Santiago told Malaysiakini.**

Now, on April 24th, 2009, it has been reported that top Republican on the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee, handed to the Malaysian government a report “Trafficking and Extortion of Burmese Migrants in Malaysia and Southern Thailand.” The report alleges that “illegal Myanmar migrants deported from Malaysia were often turned over to human traffickers and forced to work in brothels, fishing boats and restaurants in Thailand if they had no money to purchase their freedom.”

The US Senate report, now commonly called “the Lugar Report”, was based on a year-long review by committee staff who interviewed migrants and human rights activists. According to the report:

Myanmar migrants in recent years might have become victims of extortion and trafficking once they were deported to Malaysia's northern border with Thailand. Upon arrival at the Malaysia-Thailand border, human traffickers reportedly take possession of the migrants. Migrants state that those unable to pay (the traffickers) are turned over to human peddlers in Thailand, representing a variety of business interests ranging from fishing boats to brothels.

Through the report, the US Senate Committee called on Malaysia to investigate and prosecute “the trafficking, selling and slavery of Burmese and other migrants.”

Photo courtesy of Adli Ghazali

Opposition veteran, Lim, noted on his blog:

The Senate investigators also received multiple reports of Burmese women being sexually abused by traffickers, including some in front of their husbands because, as one NGO employee cited in the report put it, “no one dares to intervene as they would be shot or stabbed to death in the jungle’’.

“[Burmese women] are sold at a brothel if they look good,” recounted one refugee. “If they are not beautiful, they [the traffickers] might sell them at a restaurant or house-keeping job.”

The committee launched the investigation in 2007 after hearing allegations about the trafficking of Burmese migrants “with the knowledge, if not participation” of Malaysian officials.

“The prospect that Burmese migrants, having fled the heavy hand of the Burmese junta, only to find themselves in harms’ way in Malaysia seemed beyond belief,” said the report.

Lim called on newly minted Prime Minister, Mr Najib Razak, to “respond with instant government action in keeping with his “Performance Now” motto on the Lugar Report which accused Malaysian officials of complicity in the human trafficking of Burmese refugees who have been sold into prostitution and other kinds of forced labour in recent years.”

Photo courtesy of M.A.M09

Santiago, in response to the report, stated on his blog:

Let’s get this straight. The refugees are not coming to Malaysia seeking better economic opportunities. They simply have no choice. They run into Malaysia, leaving behind families and children, to stay alive.

Their woes do not stop once they get to Malaysia. Here they are hunted down like animals by RELA, a bully group consisting of citizens who turn ad-hoc policemen.

Their refugee cards issued by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees or UNHCR is useless as Malaysia does not recognise their refugee status. Therefore the refugees are trapped in a situation where they cannot work and are constantly under the threat of being arrested by immigration and RELA officers.

But the government is only interested in business transactions with the military junta. Malaysian state oil company, Petronas, does business amounting to millions of US dollars with Burma.

ASEAN, on the other hand, pretend they are limousine liberals while in reality, turn a blind eye to the gross violations of human rights by the military. Instead, the leaders shake hands and exchange diplomatic niceties with the Burmese army officers during ASEAN meetings.

The 10-member bloc’s non-interference policy further cushions the Burmese military from the need to be accountable to the killings and disappearances of hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas, Karens, Chins and other minority clans.

I call upon the newly minted Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Tun Hussein to open a new investigation on the matter and consider the 10 proposal of the Lugar report including implementation the country’s Anti-trafficking Law, ASEAN’s Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers and the immediate ratification of the UN 1967 Refugee Convention - with a view to protect and promote the rights of migrants and refugees in the country and region.

Photo courtesy of Adli Ghazali

Aside from the opposition's call for action, Suhakam commissioner, Mr N. Siva Subramaniam, was reported to have said that Suhakam (Malaysia's Human Rights Commission) has received several complaints about human trafficking in the past two years. He was quoted as saying, “The issue has even been raised at international forums but it is difficult to compile the evidence.” Mr Siva also called on the relevant authorities “to investigate and take action against those responsible.”

The report and the calls for action has stirred the sentiments of some bloggers. Bob writes:

Today in the 21st Century, in an era of globalisation, development and technology, one would think that the human race is advancing in the areas of freedom, peace and human dignity. Unfortunately this is not so. … there are more slaves TODAY than were seized from Africa in 4 centuries of trans-Atlantic slave trade. The horror is back. Buying a slave is cheaper than ever before.

TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS HAS BECOME THE FASTEST GROWING TRADE ACROSS OUR WORLD. SOME 2.4 MILLION PEOPLE ARE TRAFFICKED EACH YEAR; 1.2 MILLION OF THEM ARE CHILDREN

Every minute, every day, men, women and children are being transported, used or sold against their will. These are the victims of trafficking. They get herded across borders, across continents, sometimes in groups but they are often trafficked alone. They live in terror. Others watch their every move. They are treated like cattle. But the truth is, they’re not just a statistic. These are people – someone’s mother, someone’s child – and they’re dreaming of freedom.

Min Li states:

Most people here are unaware of what exactly defines human trafficking, and that is happening right here in Malaysia. What we usually notice is the amount of foreign workers; be it Chinese, Indonesians or Bangladeshis brought here for labour… but what we don't notice is that some of them have been brought here on false promises and later forced into involuntary servitude due to debt and threats. They have no way out.

The issue of human trafficking and migrant mistreatment is an issue which many Malaysians feel strongly about. Activist and former detainee-without-trial, Nat Tan, wrote on his blog:

The cycle of arrest, detention and deportation that the Burmese refugees in Malaysia experience is a vicious one. The experiences they face along the way, often riddled with violence and abuse, is a complete and utter violation of basic human rights.

Realizing the need for stronger advocacy, and a space for the refugees themselves to share their stories, Tenaganita has compiled stories from refugees who’ve been put through this cycle of arrest-detention-deportation and return to Malaysia. This book, The Revolving Door, highlights the status and situation of refugees in Malaysia, and the need for all parties to play a stronger role in supporting the refugees who live among us.

The Fifty Refugees Website

In fact, for Aris, a 37 year-old Malaysian, the issue was such a passion that the former doctor put together a website, recounting tales of fifty refugees, entitled simply “Fifty Refugees“. The website states:

Theirs [the refugees] is a heartwrenching story of detention, abuse, fear, neglect, and humiliation. But these are stories of resilience, courage, hope and love as well… People who are of your age, or of your children's age, or your parents'. Normal human beings, of flesh and blood, hopes and dreams, like you and me.

Ironically, the Lugar report comes almost a year after Malaysia's Anti-Trafficking in Persons law came into force. According to news reports, thirty-three suspected victims of human trafficking were rescued within the first four months of its enforcement.

In response to the Lugar Report, Malaysia's Prime Minister, Mr Najib, was reported to have said, “We will take appropriate action… We do not want Malaysia to be used as a point for human trafficking … but we need to know more facts.”

* the People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela)
** an alternative news portal
Photos courtesy of Adli Ghazali and M.A.M09