IN FOCUS: As Putrajaya and Bangkok Warm up to Naypyidaw, Myanmar Refugees Fear Being Sent Home
The first 1,476 refugees are set to leave on Myanmar Navy ships as UN officials warn the returns could violate international protections.
- On September 29, Malaysia plans to return 1,476 Myanmar refugees, the first phase of a 5,000-person repatriation program that Kuala Lumpur claims is "voluntary." The Home Ministry has not disclosed the ethnicities of those departing on two navy warships.
- Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, facing political pressure ahead of elections due by 2028, aims to demonstrate strength on immigration enforcement. The nation currently hosts around 193,800 refugees from Myanmar, including a significant population of the persecuted Rohingya minority.
- More than 160 civil society organizations released a joint statement Wednesday urging authorities to halt the deportations, citing severe risks of ongoing violence and forced conscription in Myanmar. Rights advocates warn returnees may face immediate danger upon arrival.
- United Nations officials caution that returning refugees to a conflict zone breaches the non-refoulement principle, which prohibits sending individuals where they face torture or irreparable harm. Critics argue this move sets a "troubling precedent" for the region.
- Engaging with Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing, Prime Minister Anwar aims to facilitate these returns to boost bilateral ties. Myanmar has pledged a "safe and dignified" welcome, though actual security conditions in the country remain disputed.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Civil society groups urge Malaysia to stop deporting Rohingyas
More than 160 civil society organisations released a joint statement on Wednesday (Sept 23) urging Malaysia to halt plans to deport Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, citing severe risks of ongoing violence and forced conscription.The groups expressed "grave concerns" over Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's proposal to seek Myanmar junta leader-turned-president Min Aung Hlaing's co-operation to send back Rohingya, a Muslim-minority community long persecu…
Malaysia's migrant return plan chills Myanmar Rohingya
Weeks ago, the 25-year-old was eking out a living at a Malaysia fish market, one of legions of the Muslim minority group who left Myanmar to escape violence some monitors say amounted to genocide. But a wave of anti-Rohingya sentiment, migrant arrests and a government plan to repatriate Myanmar nationals drove Ismail back, even though the nation he fled still denies him full citizenship. "People without a country like us, we have nowhere to come…
Civil society groups urge Malaysia to stop Rohingya returns
Sept 23 (Reuters) - More than 160 civil society organisations released a joint statement on Wednesday urging Malaysia to halt plans to deport Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, citing severe risks of ongoing violence and forced conscription. • The groups ...
IN FOCUS: As Putrajaya and Bangkok warm up to Naypyidaw, Myanmar refugees fear being sent home
Thailand and Malaysia have been a safe haven for hundreds of thousands of Myanmar nationals fleeing conflict, but recent developments have stoked worries among the refugees.
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