Malaysia deports 150 Myanmar citizens fearing they will be detained in their country

Malaysia has deported 150 Myanmar nationals this month, including asylum-seeking former naval officers, and plans to return more despite the risk of detention they face at home, according to four sources familiar with the matter.

The deportations come despite Malaysia’s condemnation of the violence in Myanmar since the military last year toppled an elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and cracked down on dissent.

Malaysian authorities detained six former navy officers last month and deported them by plane on October 6, the sources told Reuters, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

At least one officer, Kyaw Hla, and his wife, Htay Htay Yee, were detained upon arrival in Myanmar’s main city, Yangon, the sources said. Reuters was unable to establish why they were held in Yangon.

The two were deported from Malaysia for not having valid documents to reside in the country, the sources said.

At least three of the former officers and Htay Htay Yee had asked the UN refugee agency for protection and applied for a card identifying them as such, the sources said.

A spokesman for Myanmar’s ruling military did not respond to phone calls seeking comment.

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The Myanmar embassy in Malaysia said in a Facebook post that 150 Myanmar nationals were deported by plane on Oct. 6 in cooperation with Malaysian immigration authorities. He did not mention that the group included former naval officers.

Malaysia’s Immigration Department, Foreign Ministry and Prime Minister’s Office did not respond to requests for comment.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) did not say whether it had received asylum applications from the deportees, but said it was “gravely concerned” about the deportations.

“Not only in Malaysia, but in the region, people fleeing Myanmar must be allowed access to a territory to seek asylum and be protected from refoulement,” he said in a statement sent to Reuters.

The two were deported from Malaysia for not having valid documents to reside in the country, the sources said.

“People from Myanmar, who are already abroad, should not be forced to return when seeking international protection.”

The agency did not comment on the dangers faced by Myanmar citizens deported back to their country.

Partners in crime

Myanmar has been in crisis since the coup sparked widespread opposition to the return of military rule after a decade of tentative democratic reforms.

The junta has detained thousands of people, including Suu Kyi and many colleagues, bureaucrats, students and journalists, in an attempt to quell dissent.

Malaysia is hosting more than 100,000 Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar fleeing repression in their country. But recently, Malaysia has deported more people from Myanmar due to a tougher policy on refugees and immigrants.

However, the deportations highlight what critics of the Malaysian government see as a contradictory stance following Malaysia’s unprecedented condemnation of the Myanmar military, departing from regional convention not to criticize its fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. (ASEAN).

Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah condemned Myanmar’s execution in July of four pro-democracy activists as a crime against humanity that ridiculed ASEAN peace efforts.

He has urged Southeast Asian countries to engage with Myanmar’s opposition and called on ASEAN to “redouble” its efforts to provide humanitarian aid and promote a peace process in Myanmar.

Malaysian opposition lawmaker Charles Santiago said the government must stop deportations and adopt a consistent policy on Myanmar based on human rights and democracy.

“Sending Myanmar refugees to a country where they are likely to be imprisoned, likely tortured and possibly killed by a criminal junta makes the Malaysian authorities complicit in these crimes,” he told Reuters.

Despite these criticisms, Malaysia is planning to deport more Myanmar nationals, according to community leaders who said they were told by authorities about the planned deportations. They did not want to be identified.

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A man has filed a legal challenge against his detention and possible deportation, according to his attorney, New Sin Yew.

New told Reuters the man had participated in Myanmar’s civil disobedience movement, sought asylum in Malaysia and applied for UNHCR protection.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court has ordered a temporary stay of the man’s deportation, pending a hearing on Thursday.

Article republished from The Wire as part of an agreement between both parties to share content. Link to original article:https://thewire.in/world/malaysia-sports-150-myanmar-nationals-amid-fears-of-their-arrest-back-home