RohingyaRefugees

03 JUNE 2015 - KULAI, JOHORE, MALAYSIA: Rohingya refugees work cleaning storm sewers in a middle class neighborhood in Kulai, Malaysia. They are paid about 40 Malaysian Ringgit per day (roughly $11 US) to cut the grass in public spaces and keep sewer lines open. Most of them came to Malaysia as refugees, this menial work is the only work they can find. The UN says the Rohingya, a Muslim minority in western Myanmar, are the most persecuted ethnic minority in the world. The government of Myanmar insists the Rohingya are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and has refused to grant them citizenship. Most of the Rohingya in Myanmar have been confined to Internal Displaced Persons camp in Rakhine state, bordering Bangladesh. Thousands of Rohingya have fled Myanmar and settled in Malaysia. Most fled on small fishing trawlers. There are about 1,500 Rohingya in the town of Kulai, in the Malaysian state of Johore. Only about 500 of them have been granted official refugee status by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The rest live under the radar, relying on gifts from their community and taking menial jobs to make ends meet. They face harassment from Malaysian police who, the Rohingya say, extort bribes from them. PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ

Add to Cart Add to Lightbox Download

Filename: RohingyaRefugeesKulaiMalaysia080.jpg
Copyright: © 2015 Jack Kurtz
Image Size: 4608x3456 / 16.3MB; 060115 Burma Burmese Human Rights Immigrant Islam Johore Kulai Labor Malaysia Migrant Muslim Myanmar Refugee Rohingya Work
Contained in galleries: Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis (All), Malaysia (All)

03 JUNE 2015 - KULAI, JOHORE, MALAYSIA: Rohingya refugees work cleaning storm sewers in a middle class neighborhood in Kulai, Malaysia. They are paid about 40 Malaysian Ringgit per day (roughly $11 US) to cut the grass in public spaces and keep sewer lines open. Most of them came to Malaysia as refugees, this menial work is the only work they can find. The UN says the Rohingya, a Muslim minority in western Myanmar, are the most persecuted ethnic minority in the world. The government of Myanmar insists the Rohingya are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and has refused to grant them citizenship. Most of the Rohingya in Myanmar have been confined to Internal Displaced Persons camp in Rakhine state, bordering Bangladesh. Thousands of Rohingya have fled Myanmar and settled in Malaysia. Most fled on small fishing trawlers. There are about 1,500 Rohingya in the town of Kulai, in the Malaysian state of Johore. Only about 500 of them have been granted official refugee status by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The rest live under the radar, relying on gifts from their community and taking menial jobs to make ends meet. They face harassment from Malaysian police who, the Rohingya say, extort bribes from them. PHOTO BY JACK KURTZ