Malaysia Won't Repatriate 5,000 Rohingya If Return Would Threaten Their Lives

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 5 (Reuters) — Malaysia said on Wednesday it will not go ahead with the planned repatriation of 5,000 Myanmar refugees if authorities determine their lives would be at risk on return, as officials continue screening the group ahead of a proposed handover.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has identified the group as ethnic Rohingya and said the proposed move followed rising tensions between Rohingya communities and local residents in Malaysia.

Authorities have reported unrest in recent days, including the closure of Rohingya-run schools nationwide amid reports that many children faced harassment and threats. Some refugees were evicted from homes in the northern state of Penang, and several people who gathered outside the UNHCR office in Kuala Lumpur seeking assistance were briefly detained.

Government review and screening

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the foreign and home ministries are reviewing the plan and screening refugees to identify the 5,000 people who could be returned. He stressed that Malaysia will not proceed if the screenings show individuals would face persecution or threats to their lives.

"Malaysia, as a responsible country, will not return the 5,000 Myanmar refugees if they would either be persecuted or their lives would be threatened," Fahmi said.

Fahmi added that several matters, including the criteria for repatriation, would be discussed with the Myanmar government before any implementation. He noted that while the junta government in Myanmar has indicated it is ready to receive returnees, Malaysia will only proceed if the criteria and safeguards are appropriate.

Human rights concerns

Human Rights Watch urged the Malaysian government to reverse the plan, warning that Rohingya refugees face persecution and other abuses in Myanmar. Bryony Lau, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said Malaysia should show regional leadership and avoid forcibly returning people who are targets of the junta's brutality.

"The Malaysian government should show regional leadership in responding to the crisis in Myanmar rather than forcibly returning people who are the targets of the junta's brutality," Bryony Lau said in a statement.

Malaysian officials say screenings and inter-ministerial reviews are ongoing. Any decision to repatriate would hinge on clear criteria and assurances that returnees would not face persecution or threats to their safety.

Reporting by Ashley Tang; Editing by David Stanway