At the end of June 2010, about 88,900 refugees and asylum-seekers were registered with the UNHCR in Malaysia, according to the UNHCR website. Of those, 82,200 were refugees from Burma, comprising 38,700 Chin, 10,000 Rohingya, 7,000 Burmese Muslims, 3,800 Mon, 3,600 Kachin and other ethnic minorities from Burma. The UNHCR said a large number of Burmese refugees remain unregistered. The refugee community estimates that unregistered refugees and asylum-seekers could number 10,000 people.
About 50 Arakanese protested on June 6 outside the UNHCR office in Malaysia, saying the UN discriminated against Burmese ethnic groups. After the protest, UNHCR officials told the protesters that UNHCR policy was to provide registration.
About 6,000 Burmese refugees in Malaysia including Burmese and Arakanese have been registered by the United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), according to Burmese refugees in Malaysia. Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Monday, Kyaw Kyaw Win, the general-secretary of Arakan Refugees Relief Committee, based in Malaysia, said, “ Of the total, Arakanese numbered about 3,863 and 1,962 are Burmese.” The UNHCR began issuing registration documents for Burmese refugees on Aug. 17 and the process will end on Sept. 19.