Malaysian Government Repatriates Over 1,000 Myanmar Nationals Despite Court Stay Order

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Criticism continues against the Malaysian government for repatriating over 1,000 Myanmar nationals to Myanmar, where a coup occurred, despite a court injunction to halt the deportations.

According to Bernama News Agency and AFP on the 25th, the Malaysian Immigration Department repatriated 1,086 Myanmar nationals aboard three Myanmar naval vessels on the 23rd.

Just hours before departure, the Kuala Lumpur High Court accepted human rights groups' requests and ordered a temporary suspension of the deportation of 1,200 Myanmar nationals, but this order was not honored.

It remains uncertain whether the court's order to halt the deportation of the remaining 114 Myanmar nationals will be accepted.

The Malaysian Immigration Department stated, "The deportees are illegal residents who have overstayed or misused visitor visas," and added, "There are no Rohingya or asylum seekers among them."

They further claimed, "We repatriated more than 37,000 foreigners last year," and "All Myanmar nationals voluntarily agreed to repatriation, and there was no coercion."

However, they did not explain why the court's suspension order was ignored or why the remaining 114 individuals were not boarded onto the ships.

Human rights organizations, including Amnesty Malaysia, raised their voices in criticism, stating, "Repatriation to Myanmar, which is controlled by the military, could immediately endanger lives."

Ned Price, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, said at a briefing the previous day, "The Myanmar military has a long history of human rights abuses against other religions and ethnic minorities," and pointed out, "Malaysia's actions are excessive considering the court's deportation suspension order and the ongoing unrest in Myanmar."

He added, "We urge all neighboring countries to reconsider repatriating Myanmar nationals until the UN Refugee Agency can assess the protection issues of Myanmar migrants."

Four opposition lawmakers in Malaysia also criticized in a joint statement, saying, "The deportation of Myanmar nationals is inhumane," and that ignoring the court's decision negatively affects human rights issues.