Innocence lost
> Mahi Ramakrishnan’s latest documentary on Rohingya refugees turns the spotlight on the horrors faced by their child brides
brides.
“These men believe they are doing a favour to these girls because they are rescuing them from the misery in their home country and giving them a better life.”
She also talked to a trafficker to gain an insight on the trade.
Mahi says while the authorities have taken strict measures to control the refugee problem, traffickers are getting more creative.
She claims they are using flights from Bangladesh to bring child brides into the country. And they are charging more for each bride, as much as RM16,000 per bride.
While some quarters argue that child marriages should be legalised to reduce unwanted pregnancies among the youth, Mahi disagrees.
“If you want young people to behave responsibly towards sex, marriage is not the answer.
“Society, parents, and schools should take the trouble to teach youngsters about sex, and about the responsibilities involved.”
BOU will be shown this Sunday at The Refugee Fest: Inclusion for a Better World event, which takes place at Black Box, Publika, in Kuala Lumpur, from tomorrow till Sunday.
The Refugee Fest, which premiered last year, is Mahi’s brainchild.
During this four-day event, there will be activities geared to help members of the public better understand the plight of refugees.
Among the activities are a theatre performance by a group of Syrian children, and a poetry recital by refugees in their own language.
“These poems will be translated in English,” says Mahi, adding that the festival will give refugees “a platform to channel their grievances, their disappointments, and their dreams.”
“This festival is a place where their voice will be heard.”
As to calls for nations to close their borders to refugees, including from US President Donald Trump, Mahi says: “Trump has no authority to turn his back on refugees.
“What irks me is when a person who has power, wealth and fame migrates to our country, it is perfectly fine and nobody has issue with that.
“But these refugees have no choice. They have to abandon their homeland. If they continue living in their homeland, they would end up dead.
“Frankly speaking, we need to remove the labels we have attached to [people], and look at these refugees as human beings who are fleeing prosecution.
“And they need our help.”