Malaysia says it will not send back Myanmar refugees who face danger

(August 6) The Malaysian government has announced that it will not send back refugees who face the risk of death or persecution among the approximately 5,000 refugees from Myanmar that it is planning to repatriate. This comes after Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated last week that Myanmar had agreed to accept about 5,000 refugees, including the Rohingya minority, sparking concerns from human rights groups over the plan. Fahmi Fadzil, Malaysia's Communications Minister, said at a press conference on August 5 that Malaysia, as a responsible nation, would screen refugees for persecution or risk of death before sending them back. "If they face persecution or risk of death after being sent back, Malaysia will not send them back," Fahmi said. He stated that although the Myanmar military junta has indicated its readiness to accept them, the Foreign Ministry is continuing to review the criteria and conditions for repatriation. "This plan will only be implemented if the appropriate conditions are met," he said. The Myanmar military junta has not yet issued any official statement regarding this repatriation plan. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) registration in Malaysia, there are over 215,000 refugees and asylum seekers, including over 126,000 Rohingya from Myanmar. Most of those who fled Myanmar are people who escaped to Bangladesh and other countries after the Myanmar military's clearance operations in 2017. The Malaysian government's repatriation plan emerged after over 100 Rohingya refugees who had gathered outside the UNHCR office in Kuala Lumpur last week were arrested. These refugees had gone to the UNHCR office due to the threat of eviction from their temporary settlement in northern Penang state, and were later released after UNHCR confirmed the validity of the documents they had been issued. According to the Malaysian state news agency Bernama, the Home Ministry has begun registering and screening refugees for the repatriation plan. Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has stated that after screening about 4,000 individuals in immigration detention centers, they will be consolidated into a single facility instead of 19 facilities to facilitate management. However, major Rohingya advocacy groups in Malaysia have called for the plan to be halted and have warned of risks to their lives and safety if they are sent back to Myanmar. The Malaysian government's repatriation plan comes amid heightened international scrutiny of the human rights situation in Myanmar, particularly the safety of the Rohingya. Despite the Malaysian government's pledge not to send back those at risk of death, human rights groups' concerns are likely to persist due to the ongoing military conflict in Myanmar and the unresolved issue of Rohingya citizenship rights.