Malaysia continues mass deportation plan amid concern in Washington and Brussels

On Thursday, the European Union joined the United States in expressing concern over Malaysia’s mass deportation this week of Myanmar citizens after the military coup, in defiance of a court order to halt the plan.
On Tuesday, Malaysia repatriated 1,086 Myanmar citizens on board three naval ships sent by Myanmar, in a move that rights groups said could endanger the lives of the deportees.

Activists said asylum seekers were among those due to be deported, including from the Chin and Kachin regions, and people who had come to Malaysia fleeing conflict and persecution in Myanmar.

Malaysia said it would no longer be asylum seekers or Rohingya refugees.

The European Union said it “deeply regrets” the Malaysian authorities’ move to proceed with the deportation despite the court order and expressed concern over the use of sea vessels.

“We expected the Malaysian authorities to respect the court’s decision, and we stress the importance of respecting international law and the principle of non-refoulement,” an EU spokesman said.

The federation said it had earlier urged Malaysia to abandon the plan.

In turn, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Wednesday that the United States called on countries in the region to postpone any deportations in light of the military coup that occurred on February 1.

The United States and other Western missions were trying to dissuade Malaysia from proceeding with the deportation, and urged the government to allow the United Nations refugee agency to interview the detainees.

The sources said that Malaysia is legitimizing the military government in Myanmar by cooperating with the junta.

Some opposition Malaysian lawmakers asserted on Wednesday that the government’s defiance of the court order may amount to contempt of the court.

Source: Reuters