Rohingya must not be returned to the regime they fled, says APHR

Mizzima

ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) has voiced serious concern over Malaysia’s announcement that Myanmar has agreed to take back around 5,000 Rohingya currently in Malaysia, warning that any return to Myanmar under present conditions would place lives at grave risk, according to a press release on 30 July.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Myanmar had agreed to receive the 5,000 following negotiations, alongside 300,000 Rohingya from Bangladesh, describing it as a breakthrough reflecting strong diplomatic ties with the military-led nation.

“The Rohingya in Malaysia fled persecution, violence, and ethnic cleansing,” said Charles Santiago, Former Member of Parliament for Klang, Malaysia and Co-Chairperson of APHR. “Returning them to the very military that drove them out, while that military still holds power and Rakhine remains a conflict zone, may constitute refoulement.”