Malaysia Faces Criticism as Thousands of Rohingya Refugees Face Repatriation to Myanmar

More than 100,000 Rohingya sought refuge in Malaysia nearly a decade ago, fleeing persecution and war in Myanmar. However, thousands of Rohingya refugees are now being sent back to a nation still plagued by violence.

The Malaysian government is facing accusations of forcibly deporting the refugees, a charge the government denies. It maintains that the process is voluntary and coordinated with Myanmar’s government. Meanwhile, human rights groups argue that this violates international law by sending refugees to countries where they risk facing prosecution or torture, raising questions about whether these objections will stop the repatriations.

The discussion features presenter Imran Khan alongside guests Phar Kim Beng, Director of the Institute of International and ASEAN Studies and geopolitics professor at the University of Malaysia; Lucky Karim, democracy and human rights advocate and founder of Refugee Women for Peace and Justice; and Maung Zarni, genocide scholar and cofounder of the scholar-activist network Forces of Renewal Southeast Asia.