Salai Van Ceu Thawng, a 28-year-old man from the Chin State’s Hakha, and Mai Om Lu from Mindat, were arrested at the Yangon Airport on June 10 under the immigration act, according to Salai Van Ceu Thawng’s father.

“Their UN card expired and they couldn’t go to the third country. They came back to Myanmar because they were afraid of being arrested [in Malaysia]. As it would happen, their passport agent gave them fake passports so they were arrested,” he said.

Salai Van Ceu Thawng traveled illegally to Malaysia without a passport. As he needed a passport to return to Myanmar after feeling concerned over the UNHCR’s decision, Nge Nge, a Myanmar agent who resides in Malaysia, made him a passport, but it turned out to be fake so he got arrested, his father continued.

“The agent cheated him. We sent all the national registration cards and household lists via Viber. She didn’t ask him to go to the embassy and have his his fingerprints taken down. No taxes were submitted to the embassy. She just sent him with a fake passport,” he said.

The two returnees have been charged under Section 13 (1) of the immigration act and Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and they are detained at Insein Prison in Yangon.

“They are defending the case in custody because bail is denied in their charges. I’m worried that other people who come back will face similar charges,” said U Ngai Sak, an advocate lawyer who is defending the two returnees.

U Ngai Sak wrote on social media that the refugees living in Malaysia and India may be charged under the law and sent to prison when they come back to Myanmar if the UNHCR does not review its decision on the Chin refugee issue.

Oppression of the authorities, wrongful accusations and death threats, forcible conscription into work as porters, lack of job opportunities, and economic crisis forced ethnic Chin youths to flee to neighboring countries via various methods in the 1988-2010 period. The UNHCR allowed them to live as refugees and  settle in third countries.

However, the UNHCR decided to stop providing protection to Chin refugees since the political, social, and security situations have become stable and secure in the Chin State.

Due to the UNHCR’s decision, the refugees only have two choices. The first choice is to continue holding on the UN registration card until December 31, 2019 and this card will expire on January 1, 2020.

The second choice is to sit for an interview with the UNHCR if they believe they still need international protection and they will receive a response within two months. Based on the response, they will decide on whether they will continue to stay in the country, depart for a third country, or return to Myanmar.