Deaths in Immigration Centres seem to be dropping... 78(2005-2009) or is it?

Well, according to the Malaysian government, between 2005 and 2009, 78 persons died while in Immigration Detention Centres, and 32 of them were from Burma.

Sadly, the causes of death was not revealed - and,  we also do not know the number who died when the RELA and/or Immigration officers were trying to arrest them.

We do not know exact numbers of those that died in police lock-ups, prisons, and other places of detention. We recall that 1,300 foreigners were said to have died in the past 6 years.

We recall that it was reported in the media in December 2008, that "About 1,300 illegal foreigners have died during detention in the past six years, Malaysia Nanban quoted Malaysian Human Rights (Suhakam) commissioner Datuk N. Siva Subramaniam as saying. He said many of them died in immigration detention centres, prisons and police lockups because they were denied medical treatment at the right time.” [Star, 18/12/2008, ‘1,300 foreign detainees died due to neglect’] This was again reiterated ABC News(28/5/2009) Malaysia detention centres 'violating rights' .The Bar Council tells us that, "...The Dewan Rakyat figure would mean that an average of one migrant dies in custody almost every day!" - Bar Council: Deaths of migrants in prisons, rehabilitation and detention centres - Another Burmese migrant dies in Alor Star Detention Centre

In July 2009, the Dewan Rakyat was told that some 2,029 persons died in prisons, rehabilitation centres and immigration detention centres between 2002 and 1 June 2009.  More recently SUHAKAM Commissioner Datuk Siva Subramaniam was quoted as saying that 1,300 foreigners died in detention within the past six years.  The Dewan Rakyat figure would mean that an average of one migrant dies in custody almost every day! - Malaysian Bar [Bar Council: Deaths of migrants in prisons, rehabilitation and detention centres]

And now, we are told....

JAWAPAN LISAN DEWAN NEGARA YBM TUNKU ABDUL AZIZ BIN TUNKU IBRAHIM PADA 26 JULAI 2010 [Written Answers in respond to question raised by a Senator]

SOALAN:

Tunku Abdul Aziz bin Tunku Ibrahim minta MENTERI DALAM NEGERI menyatakan bilangan kematian tahanan imigresen yang berlaku di depot tahanan imigresen dan hospital mengikut kategori negara asal, jantina dan umur dalam masa lima tahun yang lepas dan bilangannya bagi setiap tahun.

JAWAPAN:

Tuan Yang Di-Pertua,

Terima kasih diucapkan kepada Yang Berhormat Senator yang mengemukakan pertanyaan.

Untuk makluman Ahli-ahli Yang Berhormat, sejumlah 78 tahanan telah mati di dalam Depot Imigresen untuk tahun-tahun 2005 hinga 2009, dengan pecahan bilangan seperti berikut:

i.                    Bagi tahun 2005 sebanyak 1 kematian;

ii.                  Bagi tahun 2006 sebanyak 5 kematian;

iii.                Bagi tahun 2007 seanyak 27 kematian;

iv.                Bagi tahun 2008 sebanyak 14 kematian; dan

v.                  Bagi tahun 2009 sebanyak 31 kematian.

Dari jumlah ini, didapati bilangan tertinggi terdiri dari:

i.                    32 tahanan warganegara Myanmar yang kesemuanya merupakan lelaki;

ii.                  12 tahanan warganegara Indonesia yang mana 8 adalah lelaki, 2 adalah wanita dan 2 kanak-kanak;

iii.                11 tahanan warganegara India yang amna 10 adalah lelaki dan 1 wanita;

iv.                11 tahanan warganegara Bangladesh yang kesemuanya merupakan lelaki.

v.                  4 tahanan warganegara Kemboja yang kesemuanya merupakan lelaki;

vi.                2 tahanan warganegara Vietnam yang kesemuanya merupakan lelaki;

vii.              Dan

viii.            Masing-masing 1 tahanan lelaki dari Thailand, Nigeria, Togo, Pakistan, Liberia dan Filipina.

See also earlier post Death in Custody: Could be more than 3,000 since 1990...