KUALA LUMPUR, April 7, 2004
Kyodo
(EDS: ADDING QUOTES BY DEPUTY INTERNAL SECURITY MINISTER)
Disaffected Rohinya Muslim minority refugees on Wednesday burned down the Myanmar Embassy in Kuala Lumpur and injured two diplomats, one seriously, officials said.
Three men armed with axes and knives scaled the wall of the two-story embassy around 9:30 a.m., Malaysian Deputy Internal Security Minister Noh Omar told reporters. After a scuffle with embassy staff, they doused the floor of the embassy with gasoline and set it alight, he said.
The men were among 14 people from five Rohinya families, mostly women and children, who had gathered outside the embassy in the morning.
They had been to the embassy on several occasions to have their personal documents certified in the process of seeking asylum through the Kuala Lumpur office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees but their requests were turned down each time.
Noh said police arrested the three arsonists and one other man, a suspected accomplice who was outside the compound.
The embassy's Second Secretary Myint Thein Win said the fire spread fast and gutted the entire building, leaving only the walls and part of the roof intact.
He said the arsonists also tried to damage the ambassador's car but were interrupted by the embassy's minister counselor, who suffered injuries to his hand and head during the scuffle.
''Due to the injuries, he is now undergoing an operation,'' the state-run news agency Bernama later quoted the second secretary as saying.
Another embassy staff member was slightly injured, police said.
There were eight people inside the embassy, including the ambassador, at the time of the attack, the second secretary said.
Police rounded up the rest of the family members for questioning. Noh said the four attackers would be charged with arson, attempted murder, damage to property, trespassing and traveling without valid documents.
''We want to send a warning to these illegal immigrants -- Don't try to create trouble here...Don't treat Malaysia like their own country. We are anti-terrorists, anti-criminals. We won't tolerate such things,'' Noh said.
This is the second time in as many weeks that security in a foreign mission has been breached. Last week a still-at-large assailant fired an explosive device at the Australian High Commission building, causing minor damage. The motive for the attack is still unclear.
''This is an isolated case. It has nothing to do with the incident at the Australian High Commission. This is a domestic problem between the embassy and its people,'' Kuala Lumpur Police Chief Mustafa Abdullah told reporters.
Noh said the police would step up patrols in the diplomatic enclave and have instructed the Myanmar Embassy to beef up its security.
Thousands of Rohingya immigrants from Myanmar live in Malaysia, where they first began arriving in large numbers in the early 1990s.
According to Human Rights Watch, the Myanmar government refuses to recognize them as Myanmar citizens, issue them identification documents or accept them back.
........
Credit: The Free Library
Kyodo
(EDS: ADDING QUOTES BY DEPUTY INTERNAL SECURITY MINISTER)
Disaffected Rohinya Muslim minority refugees on Wednesday burned down the Myanmar Embassy in Kuala Lumpur and injured two diplomats, one seriously, officials said.
Three men armed with axes and knives scaled the wall of the two-story embassy around 9:30 a.m., Malaysian Deputy Internal Security Minister Noh Omar told reporters. After a scuffle with embassy staff, they doused the floor of the embassy with gasoline and set it alight, he said.
The men were among 14 people from five Rohinya families, mostly women and children, who had gathered outside the embassy in the morning.
They had been to the embassy on several occasions to have their personal documents certified in the process of seeking asylum through the Kuala Lumpur office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees but their requests were turned down each time.
Noh said police arrested the three arsonists and one other man, a suspected accomplice who was outside the compound.
The embassy's Second Secretary Myint Thein Win said the fire spread fast and gutted the entire building, leaving only the walls and part of the roof intact.
He said the arsonists also tried to damage the ambassador's car but were interrupted by the embassy's minister counselor, who suffered injuries to his hand and head during the scuffle.
''Due to the injuries, he is now undergoing an operation,'' the state-run news agency Bernama later quoted the second secretary as saying.
Another embassy staff member was slightly injured, police said.
There were eight people inside the embassy, including the ambassador, at the time of the attack, the second secretary said.
Police rounded up the rest of the family members for questioning. Noh said the four attackers would be charged with arson, attempted murder, damage to property, trespassing and traveling without valid documents.
''We want to send a warning to these illegal immigrants -- Don't try to create trouble here...Don't treat Malaysia like their own country. We are anti-terrorists, anti-criminals. We won't tolerate such things,'' Noh said.
This is the second time in as many weeks that security in a foreign mission has been breached. Last week a still-at-large assailant fired an explosive device at the Australian High Commission building, causing minor damage. The motive for the attack is still unclear.
''This is an isolated case. It has nothing to do with the incident at the Australian High Commission. This is a domestic problem between the embassy and its people,'' Kuala Lumpur Police Chief Mustafa Abdullah told reporters.
Noh said the police would step up patrols in the diplomatic enclave and have instructed the Myanmar Embassy to beef up its security.
Thousands of Rohingya immigrants from Myanmar live in Malaysia, where they first began arriving in large numbers in the early 1990s.
According to Human Rights Watch, the Myanmar government refuses to recognize them as Myanmar citizens, issue them identification documents or accept them back.
........
Credit: The Free Library
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