An ethnic Chin refugee from Burma Ms. Sui Tin Lem (32) with two children was badly assaulted and sexually abused by four local Indian men in New Delhi, capital of India.
The incident occurred on March 29 at 7 p.m. in Old Jangipuri, Uttam Nagar, west New Delhi, when she came back from her work place with two of her friends. She left them and was walking back home alone when four local youths grabbed her from the back and beat her with sticks until she was unconscious and then assaulted her sexually.
“She shouted for help but no one came,” said the victim’s cousin Hram Zing, who is married and has two children.
Sui Tin Lem, who belongs to the Chin tribe was lying in bed with serious injuries on her face and found it difficult to speak.
She was badly injured on her head and forehead and had cuts on her lips.
“She was unconscious after being beaten up and lost her way back home but around 4 am she got home with the help of some young people from our community, who found her on the street,” Hram Zing said quoting the victim.
Ms. Sui Tin Lem, who was divorced in Burma, arrived in New Delhi on February 2010 with two small children both boys, 13 and 10 years of age. She started working just four days ago at a local clothes factory as a cutter on a salary Rs. 2,500 per month.
However, they have decided not to complain and signed when local police came to their house on Tuesday fearing more trouble with local people despite help from the authorities, said the victim’s family member and a Chin community leader.
She was treated in Deen Dayal Upadhyay (D.D.U) government hospital.
“We have had a lot of such experiences in the past, but whenever we complain to the police we invite more problems rather than redressal,” said, Salai David, office in charge of Chin Refugees Committee (CRC) in New Delhi.
He said, they had complained to the police not less than in six cases in the past and on one occasion police arrested the accused locals and the land lord, who sexually abused a refugee women, who rented his house. But the police released him the next day and then all refugees living in the place were forced by their landlords to move out of the area.
Plato, coordinator of refugee care, Burma Center Delhi (BCD) told KNG this is not the first time and Burmese refugees, especially women have faced worse assaults by local unidentified people.
“Last month at least four women faced the same abuse,” said Plato. “They informed the police but there was no action.”
“I would like to suggest that the police and Socio-Legal Information Centre (SLIC) should create awareness about the danger to all women and give them protection,” he added.
According to the CRC List, in New Delhi more than 5,000 Chin refugees are staying and out of them about 2,000 are recognized by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). There are also Kachins, Burmese, Arakanese refugees in small numbers.
