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Amnesty condemns Malaysia for detaining Rohingya asylum seekers
🇲🇲 Myanmar /Culture & Society

Amnesty condemns Malaysia for detaining Rohingya asylum seekers

From Myanmar Now · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Amnesty International condemned Malaysia for detaining over 100 Rohingya asylum seekers at a UN facility.
  • The group criticized Malaysia's approach, stating refugees should be treated with dignity and human rights, not as individuals to be rounded up and detained.
  • Malaysia, which has not signed the 1951 Refugee Convention, hosts over 215,000 refugees, including more than 126,000 Rohingya, but offers them no formal recognition or protection.

Amnesty International has expressed concern over the detention of more than 100 Rohingya asylum seekers by Malaysian police at a facility run by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Kuala Lumpur. The asylum seekers had sought refuge at the UNHCR compound after facing threats of eviction from their settlement.

Malaysian police apprehended 110 Rohingya individuals, including men, women, and children, and transported them to police headquarters before moving them to a location designated by a non-governmental organization. Amnesty International's Malaysia branch stated, "Malaysia cannot build a credible refugee protection system while simultaneously treating refugees as people to be rounded up, detained, and removed." The organization emphasized that refugees and asylum seekers deserve to be treated with dignity and in accordance with their human rights.

Malaysia cannot build a credible refugee protection system while simultaneously treating refugees as people to be rounded up, detained, and removed.

— Amnesty International MalaysiaCriticizing Malaysia's treatment of Rohingya asylum seekers.

UNHCR has supported dialogue among stakeholders to find long-term solutions for Malaysia's refugee challenges. The Rohingya, a persecuted Muslim minority from Myanmar, face increasing pressure in Malaysia, fueled by xenophobic online campaigns, according to rights advocates. Despite sheltering one of Southeast Asia's largest refugee populations, Malaysia has not ratified the 1951 Refugee Convention and does not formally recognize refugee status.

This lack of formal recognition leaves the Rohingya community in Malaysia vulnerable to arrest, detention, and deportation. They also have limited access to essential services such as work, education, and healthcare. Malaysia currently hosts over 215,000 refugees registered with UNHCR, with the Rohingya constituting the largest refugee community at over 126,000 individuals.

Refugees and asylum seekers should be treated with dignity and in accordance with their human rights, as people who need protection.

— Amnesty International MalaysiaStating the fundamental rights that should be afforded to refugees and asylum seekers.
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Originally published by Myanmar Now. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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