Ilankai Tamil Sangam

28th Year on the Web

Association of Tamils of Sri Lanka in the USA

Malaysia's Crackdown

by Amos Roberts, SBS, Australia, October 4, 2009

This 30 min documentary (with a focus on Tamils and portraying the plight of a Eelam Tamil family in Malaysia stuck in an overcrowded apartment with no schooling for the children; Malaysia police abuses; Australia's strict border control policies and its paranoia) was aired yesterday by SBS Australia.

It is by video journalist Amos Roberts, the same reporter who did the documentary "Hunting the Tigers" in mid March 2009 with the images of shell attacks in Mullaitivu.   The conditions of these refugees, the midnight raids and the deep sense of fear/uncertainty is very sad.  

The Tamil mother says at the end " we feel like committing suicide but we have children. If any country accepts us, we will be happy to go."

Video:

http://www.sbs.com.au/dateline/story/watch/id/600182/n/Malaysia-s-Crackdown

Also of interest: Forced Migration Review issue on 'Statelessness' here.

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