Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews) – Malaysia is becoming increasingly unfriendly towards people fleeing Myanmar.
Once an indispensable refuge for those seeking safety from military repression and fighting between Myanmar government troops and ethnic militias that have caused almost 3,000 deaths, Malaysia is now rounding up and expelling refugees and asylum seekers.
According to Human Rights Watch, at least 2,000 Myanmar nationals were forcibly repatriated between April to October 2022 without assessment of their asylum claims while others were interned or jailed.
In view of the situation, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has expressed concern, calling for an immediate stop to forced returns.
The UN body is urging Malaysian authorities to “abide by their international legal obligations and ensure the full respect for the rights of people in need of international protection.”
While Malaysia is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its Protocol and Malaysian law does not differentiate refugees and undocumented migrants, UNHCR says that under international law people cannot be returned to their countries of origin if they are at risk of persecution or other human rights violations.
While Anwar Ibrahim’s government strongly supports negotiations between Myanmar’s military junta and the opposition, it has failed so far to achieve this goal through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to which Myanmar also belongs.
Meanwhile, in Malaysia, especially since the pandemic, public opinion is turning against the presence of 183,000 refugees, 86 per cent from Myanmar, mostly Rohingya, something Malaysia’s newly elected government cannot ignore.
So far, alternative proposals have not been taken into consideration. One would see asylum seekers issued with UNHCR cards; although with “no formal legal value” in Malaysia, they might “reduce the risk of arrest, and allow limited access to health services, education and other essential support services”.
The UNHCR or other entities could also provide other services to refugees providing them with greater safety and a better quality of life.
