KUALA LUMPUR – Putrajaya must reconsider its plan to deport 1,200 Myanmar nationals given the political uncertainty in their home country, said Malaysian Christian groups.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia (CBCM), in a statement, said it could not stay quiet on the matter, especially with Myanmar having seen a military coup only weeks back.
“At a time of grave political uncertainty in Myanmar, our faith tells us that we cannot remain silent and be complicit in this action towards those who have fled due to a grave humanitarian crisis.”
It urged the government to refrain from deporting the Myanmar nationals, and to allow the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR) to verify these individuals so that their security can be guaranteed.
CBCM also requested all Catholics to offer their fast during Lent to the people of Myanmar, and for hopes of genuine dialogue between all sides in pursuit of lasting peace and freedom.
Council of Churches of Malaysia general secretary Reverend Herman Shahstri, in a statement, said going ahead with the deportations will put refugees and asylum seekers at risk.
“In this time of political insecurity in Myanmar, sending these nationals back is to send them to an uncertain fate.
“The system of checks and balances, transparency and accountability have all but disappeared, and the fate of these people, to repatriate them from our shores, is to send them into a hostile and very dangerous situation.”
He urged the government to grant UNHCR access to detention centres for the purpose of verifying refugees and asylum seekers.
“Until such a time when law and order is restored in Myanmar, and a democratically elected government is firmly in place, chosen by the popular vote of its citizens, we should not cast the lives of these 1,200 detained Myanmar nationals into an undesired and dangerous territory.” – The Vibes, February 23, 2021
