Faithfull India exploiting Burmese refugees

Chin girl kidnapped in New Delhi

Jun 25, 2008 (DVB)–A 17-year-old Chin refugee girl was kidnapped in western New Delhi by her employer on Monday evening and handed over to three men who held her until late that night.

The victim told DVB that her boss, the owner of Mawkon Book Shop, forcibly held her while other people looked on and then handed her over to three young Indian men with motorbikes waiting outside the book store.

The girl said none of the bystanders had tried to help her.

“Many people were watching while I was being kidnapped but no one tried to stop the men,” she said.

“They took me back to a place near where I live late that night.”

The girl’s parents and Chin refugee affairs officials reported the kidnappers at a police station but the police did not take any action against them. Instead, the prosecutors were forced to cease the case.

Chin Chin, director of the New Delhi-based Chin Human Rights Organisation, said the group was discussing with women’s organisations how best to protect Chin women in the capital.

“There have been a few similar incidents before. The difficulty we encountered was that the victims were not willing to open a legal case,” said Chin Chin. (JEG's: she was willing to open a case, but the authorities "were not willing" - make up your mind Mr ChinChin)

“We couldn’t do anything because they didn’t want to talk about what happened to them.”

There are over 2000 Chin refugees currently living in New Delhi, most working on low wages for Indian employers.

Reporting by Khin Maung Soe Min