Malaysia has begun returning nearly 1,500 Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, despite warnings from the United Nations and human rights organisations that conditions in Myanmar remain unsafe for their return.
The refugees were taken under police escort to a stadium near the Lumut naval base in northwestern Malaysia on Tuesday. They were expected to undergo processing before being transported to Myanmar by ship.
The Malaysian government says the returns are voluntary. However, rights groups have questioned whether refugees held in detention can freely choose to return to a country they fled because of violence and persecution.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said it had no role in the operation and warned that ongoing conflict and violence in Myanmar mean that conditions for safe and dignified returns do not currently exist. The agency said any return should be voluntary, based on an informed decision and carried out under safe and dignified conditions.
Malaysia's Home Ministry declined to comment on the UNHCR warning, referring instead to its earlier statement that the returns were voluntary.
Rohingya rights advocates have strongly opposed the move. Nay San Lwin, co-chair of the Arakan Rohingya National Council, urged Malaysia to halt the returns, saying Rohingya people remain caught between Myanmar's military and the Arakan Army, which are fighting in Rakhine State.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) also called on Malaysia to stop the returns and disclose who is being sent back and the risks they could face.
More than 160 civil society organisations have similarly called for the repatriation to be halted, citing continuing violence and concerns that Rohingya could be forced into armed groups.
Myanmar's government has promised that returning Rohingya will be provided with “safe and dignified” conditions. Malaysian Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has also said Malaysia would not return people who face persecution or threats to their lives.
The latest returns come amid growing pressure on Rohingya refugees in Malaysia. The country is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and does not formally recognise refugee status.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in July that Myanmar had agreed to accept 5,000 Rohingya refugees. The current group of nearly 1,500 is part of that arrangement.
Tags
World News