UN human rights expert urges Malaysia to halt refugee deportation to Myanmar

Kelley E. Currie, who was given the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar in April, at a UN meeting on human rights in China in 2019. (Credit: UN)

The new U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Kelley E. Currie, issued an urgent appeal to Malaysian authorities on Thursday, calling for an immediate halt to the ongoing repatriation of Myanmar nationals.

The U.N. human rights expert warned that returning asylum-seekers to a country engulfed in civil war poses a substantial risk of persecution, torture, and severe human rights violations, directly violating international legal obligations.

The appeal follows Malaysia’s deportation of an initial group of 1,476 Myanmar nationals aboard three naval vessels sent by the military regime, marking the start of a planned repatriation program targeting up to 5,000 individuals.