Malaysia deports asylum seekers from Myanmar

On October 6, 150 Burmese asylum seekers were deported from Malaysia. Generally, Malaysia does not officially welcome immigrants or refugees. It is not a signatory to the United Nations Convention and the Protocol on Refugees.

The country is reluctant to grant asylum seekers refugee status because of the risk of sending refugees back to their home countries. According to the BBC, there are 185,000 registered refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia. Apart from this, many others are not registered. Most of whom are citizens of Myanmar. Meanwhile, the country is hosting more than 100,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled Myanmar, some of them in refugee camps in Bangladesh.

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According to Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch, Malaysia is the safest and most desirable place for Rohingya, Chin and Kachin people. These communities have networks and contacts in Malaysia. So they can easily visit the country.

Malaysia has turned away large numbers of refugees and asylum seekers in the past. In the last six months, the country has distributed nearly 2,000 Burmese asylum seekers. According to Human Rights Watch, Malaysia did not assess any risks and dangers in expelling the Burmese.

But the Malaysian government has taken a stand against the military regime of Myanmar. Malaysia expressed hope that a government of national unity would be formed in Myanmar. But their fanatical attitude towards the Burmese contradicts all this. Malaysia wants to bring back the government of ousted Myanmar leader Suu Kyi. Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah described it as 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Policy'.

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He said, 'On the one hand, our Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working to demand that the junta rulers (of Myanmar) respect human rights and stop violence; On the other hand, the Home Ministry and the Immigration Department are working with the Myanmar Embassy to send the refugees back.

The BBC tried to contact Malaysian Home Minister Hamza Zainuddin in this regard but did not receive any desired comment.