Malaysia violating law by sending refugees back: UN
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has called on Malaysia to stop sending back Myanmar refugees to the country. Pushing refugees into danger is a violation of international law, it said. News from Reuters.
The UN refugee agency said on Tuesday that hundreds of refugees have been reported to have been sent back to Myanmar over the past two months. Among the refugees are former navy officers seeking asylum.
Unhcr Assistant High Commissioner Gillian Triggs said in a statement that Myanmar nationals who have already gone abroad and seek international protection should not be forcibly returned to the country at that time. This is a clear violation of the law relating to the protection of refugees and asylum seekers.
Gillian Triggs noted that UNHCR is deeply concerned by the multiple reports of their forcible repatriation from Myanmar's neighboring country.
Unhcr Assistant High Commissioner Gillian Triggs said in a statement that Myanmar nationals who have already gone abroad and seek international protection should not be forcibly returned to the country at that time. This is a clear violation of the law relating to the protection of refugees and asylum seekers.
Gillian Triggs noted that UNHCR is deeply concerned by the multiple reports of their forcible repatriation from Myanmar's neighboring country.
Unhcr spokeswoman Sabiha Mantu told a news conference in Geneva that in the last two months alone, there have been reports that authorities have forcibly deported hundreds of Myanmar nationals against their will. People should not be sent back to places where life and liberty are threatened and subjected to loss and danger.
Sabiha Mantu said that despite the UNHCR's communication with the Malaysian authorities on October 21, there were reports of a myanmar asylum seeker being forcibly sent back. He said it was not known what happened to the asylum seeker after returning to Myanmar.
There was no immediate comment from malaysia's interior and foreign ministries or the Myanmar government on the repatriation of the refugees.
Sabiha Mantu said that despite the UNHCR's communication with the Malaysian authorities on October 21, there were reports of a myanmar asylum seeker being forcibly sent back. He said it was not known what happened to the asylum seeker after returning to Myanmar.
There was no immediate comment from malaysia's interior and foreign ministries or the Myanmar government on the repatriation of the refugees.
Earlier, the Myanmar Embassy in Malaysia said in a message on social media that 150 Myanmar nationals were sent back home on October 6 with the help of Malaysian immigration authorities. However, the embassy did not mention whether there were former naval officers among them.
Myanmar has been rocked by violence and unrest since a military coup toppled the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February last year. Protests are still going on in different parts of the country. The level of repression by the junta forces to suppress the protests has also increased. More than 10,000 pro-democracy people, including political activists, rights activists, journalists, doctors and teachers, have been detained during this period.
More than 150,000 refugees and asylum seekers have fled to Malaysia so far to escape the junta's repression. There are also many Rohingyas among them.
Myanmar has been rocked by violence and unrest since a military coup toppled the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February last year. Protests are still going on in different parts of the country. The level of repression by the junta forces to suppress the protests has also increased. More than 10,000 pro-democracy people, including political activists, rights activists, journalists, doctors and teachers, have been detained during this period.
More than 150,000 refugees and asylum seekers have fled to Malaysia so far to escape the junta's repression. There are also many Rohingyas among them.
