Friday, October 21, 2011

M'sia-Myanmar deal 'could endanger detainees'

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's leading rights group has criticised a government proposal to send some detainees from Myanmar home, saying yesterday that their lives could be in danger.

Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein announced this week that Malaysia has agreed in principle to deport an unspecified number of about 1,000 Myanmar citizens held at Malaysian detention centres for immigration offences. Myanmar would send back Malaysian detainees under the deal.

The deal is meant to curb overcrowding at Malaysian detention facilities and would not affect Myanmar detainees who are eligible for refugee protection, Mr Hishammuddin said.

However, Malaysia's leading rights group Suaram said the proposal could still result in some Myanmar citizens being forced to return to a country "where their life could be in danger".

"The Malaysian government is giving greater recognition to the undemocratic and tyrannical regime in this region," Suaram said in a statement.

There are at least 340,000 Myanmar people living in Malaysia, including more than 87,000 refugees registered by the United Nations refugee agency. AP

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