Navigating the Myanmar–Thailand–Malaysia border: The escape strategies of Burmese refugees from Chin State, Myanmar, to Battle Creek, Michigan. ISA Yokohama, Japan. July 15th.

Navigating the Myanmar–Thailand–Malaysia border: The escape strategies of Burmese refugees from Chin State, Myanmar, to Battle Creek, Michigan

MANASHI RAY WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY

IXV ISA WORLD CONGRESS OF SOCIOLOGY ⅢSESSION: FORCED MIGRATION

YOKOHAMA, JAPANJULY 15, 2014 1

New comers to America

Burmese refugees made up the largest group resettled in the U.S. between 2002-2011.

The Burmese refugees were the second largest refugee group in 2009 (23% of the admitted refugees in the U.S. ) and the largest in 2011 (30% of the total admitted refugee).

‘Irregular migration’ is a globally visible phenomenon in the twenty first century 2

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2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 20110

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

18000

20000

14471323

9776

12852

18202

16693 16972

Refugee arrival from burma to the U.S. 2005-2011

YEAR

REFUGEES

Source: Office of Refugee Settlement’s Annual Reports to Congress (2009) and the Office of Immigration Statistics (DHS), Annual Flow Report on Refugees and Asylees 2011 (May 2012) in Asian & Pacific Islanders American Scholarship Fund (2014); Invisible Newcomers. p. 16.

Research Questions1) What are the diverse irregular border-crossing

strategies employed by Burmese refugees forentering the United States?

2) How does Malaysia’s immigration laws and UNHCR’s policies toward asylum seekers affect border-crossing strategies of Burmese refugees?

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5

34%

13%

18%

35%

Burmese Americans in the U.S. by region 2003-2011

West Midwest Northeast South

Source: Numbers represent weighted sample sizes from merged CPS-IPUMS, 2003-2011

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

399

591551

639

539

Burmese Refugee arrival (initial resettlement) in

Michigan by year

Year

Refugees

Source: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/resource/refugee-arrival-data

Triggers for ‘Irregular Migration’

Motives for ‘Irregular Migration’

Political Persecution Human rights abuses Anticipated total loss of livelihood because of forced labor and portering by the military

Militarization of Chin State since 1988.

Reception in Malaysia Treated with hostility by Malaysian Government Vulnerable to exploitation, cheating and detention or deportation.

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Malaysia’s Immigration Policies

Malaysia is a state party neither to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees nor to its 1967 protocol.

Malaysia’s domestic laws does not give legal status to asylum seekers, refugees and stateless persons.

Malaysia’s treatment of asylees and refugees have been subjected to change in the recent past.

The UNHCR office at Malaysia and civil society groups have been the strongest advocate for ensuring protection and assistance for refugees and asylum seekers.

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Findings Two categories of border crossers defined by

Class resources of the irregular migrant

and

Migrant’s access to diasporic ethnic networks

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Contributing factors for irregular migration at the individual level

Migrant’s stage in life cycle

Past experiences of brutality, persecution, and imprisonment especially of middle age and young men who had earning potential.

Involvement in resistance movement against Burma’s Military government

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From Hakha,Falam,Thantlang,Sitha,Kalay&Mandalay to Yangon (Burma)Modes of Transportation* Local transportation, e.g. bus, scooter, jeep, mobike* Small car “we were packed like farm animals. We were 10 people. Some were packed in the trunk of the car " (respondent 4)* Plane

to Ranong or Tachai Lake or Bangkok (Thailand)Most migrants avoided going to Bangkok, preferring to travel to Ranong or Tachai Lake close to Burma-Thailand border. Modes of Transportation* Walking in the dark of night through the woods, swamp & mud (with luggage or a child on the back of migrants) * Small fishing boats, some swam.* Motor cycle/scooter.

to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)Final Destination in Malaysia* The agent dropped them off at Kuala Lumpur from where the migrants dispersed to following cities and towns in Malaysia:* Kuala Lumpur* Klang Valley, Penang* Johor Bahru 1

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Rosemary’s narrative“We lived in Sitha, when one day my brother-in-law wanted to know if I was pregnant. In 2007, the UNHCR had announced that they were processing papers for pregnant women and minors, as a special quota. My husband decided to take this opportunity, so we both left. I was 18 years then and pregnant. We boarded a car, where we were packed like pigs or chicken.

Q. How much do you pay the agent?

“We paid a huge amount for border crossing. We had to sell our farm land. It was $ 600.00 per person.

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Rosemary’s narrative cont….. Q. Tell me more about the journey“The whole journey was not done by car. Sometime we rode a bus, but in many places we walked long distances at night. ………I cannot remember the names of those places, because I have never been there before.We also crossed a river by boat. We did not speak to each other, nor could we speak to the man who was taking us because he spoke Thai. We followed him blindly and then he was gone. Another man then took us to Kuala Lumpur. At Kuala Lumpur we were asked by the agent to contact our relative to come to collect us, who took us to Kelang.”

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Self Migration by Elite Chin migrants to Battle Creek, Michigan, United States

Use of social capital embedded in global Chin

networks.

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Jacob’s narrative – Motive for escaping from Burma

“I was a science teacher at a high school in Burma. Some of my students were members of Chin National Army. The students asked me for monetary help and guidance, which I readily gave.

So, I was perceived as a traitor who was supporting insurgency. This was in 1988. My life and lives of my family members was in constant threat from then on. This made me think about leaving Burma”.

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Jacob’s narrative about border crossing 17“One day, when I was hiding in Rangoon, I got to know from BCC about Burmese tourists in Guam who were seeking asylee status. I got in touch with my friends who had friends in the U.S. to confirm the news story. I was provided with all the necessary information from mutual friends, who had completed the journey to the U.S. earlier on.

I purchased a plane ticket from Rangoon to Bangkok with a tourist visa and told the officer it was for shopping. At Bangkok a clandestine agent, recommended by my friends gave me one way ticket to Guam via Seoul. It took me a couple of days to reach Guam”.

Border crossing through Guam: escape route used by self

migrants18

Yangon(Burma)

Seoul(South Korea)

Hawaii, Los Angeles, Battle Creek, Michigan(Mainland United States)

Jacob’s narrative about border crossing“It was not so bad for men at Guam. I spent a lot of time on the beach. I swam in the ocean, grilled fish on the beach . . .

I had to apply for asylum in the U.S. before the expiration of the tourist visa. There were plenty of Burmese people and one particular Burmese preacher who helped with the entire application process to USIS. That preacher worked for Bible Society.The USIS officials came to interview us after 11 months from the time of my arrival at Guam. The Church World Service paid each of us $600 in the last 2 months. It was USIS who gave me the air ticket to South bend airport, Indiana, where I met Edward who brought me to Battle Creek on Aug 3rd 2001”.

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Conclusion

Irregular migration of unauthorized migrants can be understood as a social construction whose meaning shifts and evolves over time, which changing political processes and relations of power between nations.

Highlights on how the process is facilitated by different social actors across multiple nations.

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND PATIENCE.

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