Refugees from Myanmar staying in Malaysia plan to attend the ASEAN People’s Forum to be held in Malaysia from April 22 to 25, according to Salai Isaac Khen, a member of the Myanmar Civil Society Working Group, speaking at a press conference in Yangon on January 6.
7 January 2014 | Written by Yu Wai Published in Regional
Refugees from Myanmar staying in Malaysia plan to attend the ASEAN People’s Forum to be held in Malaysia from April 22 to 25, according to Salai Isaac Khen, a member of the Myanmar Civil Society Working Group, speaking at a press conference in Yangon on January 6.
Salai Isaac Khen said the refugees had been invited to attend the forum, even though typically it is difficult for refugees to attend official meetings in Malaysia, given its tight restrictions.
They negotiated with the ASEAN People’s Forum Organizing Committee in Malaysia about the possibility of allowing the refugees to join the forum free of charge. But the committee agreed to reduce the entrance fee for the refugee representative to US$$5 [K5,000] per person.
Salai Isaac Khen said he planned that refugees representing various ethnic groups in Myanmar will join the forum, with the aim to have 20 people attend.
U Aung Myo Min, a member of the ASEAN People’s Forum’s steering committee, said, “In the ASEAN People’s Forum, we will discuss about the economy, social issues, peace, development, democracy and affairs related to refugees in the region.”
The refugees in Malaysia will be able to raise issues of concern to them in the forum.Salai Isaac Khen said that there are some issues to be discussed for the benefits of Myanmar refugees and Myanmar migrant workers in Malaysia.
Malaysia will host the ASEAN People’s Forum 2015 from April 22 to 25.
Myanmar hosted the ASEAN Civil Society Conference /ASEAN People’s Forum from March 21 to 23, 2014 for the first time.
Last modified on Wednesday, 07 January 2015 14:19