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KUALA LUMPUR: The United Nations refugee agency said on Saturday (February 20) that at least six people registered were among the 1,200 Myanmar citizens who will be deported by Malaysia next week, while the United States voiced alarm of that the plan could put the lives of deportees at risk.
The comments came as Myanmar naval ships arrived in Malaysian waters to pick up the detainees.
Malaysia will deport Myanmar citizens, including asylum seekers, after Myanmar’s military, which took power in a coup on February 1, offered to send navy ships to pick them up, officials and government groups said. refugees.
Malaysia has vowed not to deport Rohingya Muslims or refugees registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
But concerns about the deportation of unregistered asylum seekers persist, as UNHCR has not been allowed to interview detainees for more than a year to verify their status.
Malaysia does not formally recognize the refugees and arrests them along with other undocumented immigrants.
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Confirming the planned deportation of six persons of concern registered with him, UNHCR said it has asked authorities not to return people in need of international protection.
“We are concerned that there may be others of interest to UNHCR in the group,” Yante Ismail, a spokesman for the agency, told Reuters in an emailed statement.
Human rights groups have called on Malaysia to end the deportation, saying it would put deportees in danger. Some of those deported include people from Myanmar’s Muslim and Chin communities who came to Malaysia fleeing conflict and persecution in their country.
The US embassy confirmed to Reuters that it has expressed concern and echoed UNHCR’s requests for access to people detained by immigrants.
The Malaysian Foreign Ministry did not immediately comment.
The Myanmar embassy in Malaysia did not respond to calls seeking comment. On Facebook on Saturday he confirmed that he will bring back the 1,200 people, saying he was prioritizing the repatriation of citizens stranded due to the pandemic.
Three Myanmar-flagged ships were anchored off Malaysia’s Lumut naval base on Saturday, including one described as a military operations ship, according to the ship-tracking website Marine Traffic.
Two Malaysian sources, who requested anonymity, confirmed that those boats were sent to collect the detainees. They are scheduled to leave for Myanmar on Tuesday, Malaysia said.
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The United States and other Western missions in Kuala Lumpur have been trying to dissuade Malaysia from proceeding, said four other sources with knowledge of the matter.
“Malaysia is legitimizing the military government by handing over the detainees,” said a source.
Diplomats also urge Malaysia to allow UNHCR to interview deportees and have raised concerns about Malaysia’s cooperation with the Myanmar junta, the sources said.
Malaysia had previously expressed “serious concern” about the coup.
Opponents of the coup have been protesting for weeks. Two people died on Saturday when police fired to disperse protesters.
