HRW urges govt action in case of abducted Myanmar refugee activist

KUALA LUMPUR – Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the government to prioritise a thorough and transparent investigation into the abduction of Myanmar refugee activist Thuzar Maung and her family.

They were abducted from their residence in Ampang Jaya, Kuala Lumpur, on July 4, 2023, by unidentified men, according to reports from witnesses and CCTV footage.

Those abducted were Thuzar Maung, 46; her husband, Saw Than Tin Win, 43; her daughter, Poeh Khing Maung, 16; and her sons, Aung Myint Maung, 21, and Thukha Maung, 17.

“We fear that Thuzar Maung and her family were abducted in a planned operation and are at grave risk.

“The Malaysian government should urgently act to locate the family and ensure their safety,” said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. 

According to HRW, at about 4.30pm on July 4, a car entered the gated community where the family lives. 

The driver told the security guards they were policemen, and about two hours later, Thuzar Maung was on the phone with a friend who heard her yell to her husband that unknown men were entering the house before being disconnected. 

About 7.10pm, the same car and the two cars owned by Thuzar’s family were seen leaving the compound. Thuzar’s phone and the phones of her husband and children appear to have been immediately turned off, as no calls have gone through since.

CCTV footage at the guard booth captured the licence plate of the “police” car, which Malaysian police have since identified as fake. The footage also captured the black-gloved hand of the driver of one of Thuzar’s cars holding out the gate card to exit the compound. 

Vehicle logs show that the same car had entered the gated community on June 19. Thuzar’s colleagues, who entered the house on July 5, said there were no signs of robbery.

Thuzar is a long-time advocate for democracy in Myanmar and refugee and migrant rights in Malaysia. 

She also serves as chair of the Myanmar Muslim Refugee Community and Myanmar Migrant Workers Committee and has worked closely with Myanmar’s opposition national unity government. 

Thuzar fled Myanmar for Malaysia in 2015 to escape growing violence against Muslims. All five family members are recognised by the United Nations Refugee Agency as refugees in Malaysia.

“Foreign governments should press Malaysian authorities to quickly uncover the location of this family. 

“Myanmar activists are apparently at risk even when they criticise the military junta from a country where they have sought asylum,” Pearson added. – The Vibes, July 17, 2023