MAY 15 ― Malaysia is suddenly faced with a deluge of refugees not seen since the days of the Vietnamese boat people in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. While refugees fleeing Myanmar have been coming into the country for over two decades already, the flow was far less visible and immediate. Before this present crackdown on human traffickers operating along our borders, there were already about 140,000 Myanmar refugees registered with the UNHCR.

The current influx is mainly the result of the Thai government finally cracking down on criminal organisations which have for some time, operated with impunity, preying on refugees and migrants.

Malaysia has on many occasions temporarily accepted refugees on humanitarian grounds providing much needed shelter, water, food and medical attention. What we saw last week when over 1,000 men, women and children, were dumped on Langkawi’s shores, was another fine example of our country’s humanitarian heritage when we sheltered them and provided humanitarian aid.

And so, it was alarming to read that the National Security Council (NSC) had ordered the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) that in the future, boats with refugees or migrants would be escorted back out to international waters and be left to fend for themselves (The Star, Thursday, May 14, 2015, pg. 2). These people are victims and not perpetrators of the humanitarian disaster that is unfolding. We therefore urge the authorities to:

1.            Temporarily accept the refugees/migrants and provide them shelter, food, water and medical aid on humanitarian grounds.

2.            Screen through the boat people coming in with the help of UNHCR to determine their refugee status and to accord the refugees humanitarian assistance and rights due to them and if they are refugees, allow them to stay. However, if they are economic migrants, to send them home in a safe and orderly manner.

3.            Pressure the Myanmar government via Asean and the United Nations Security Council to stop persecuting its minority groups. It is the Myanmar government’s actions and inactions that is the source of this disaster. Without just and fair treatment of its minorities, the problem cannot be solved and will only get worse.

We support the statement made by Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar (The Star, Friday, May 15, 2015, pg. 4) who was quoted as saying that this was a humanitarian crisis and that the refugees cannot be asked to go back home as they have no home to go back to. We agree that a humanitarian approach is needed and this has been how Malaysia approached such situations in the past to her credit. We urge that this approach be continued in the current situation.

*Wong Young Soon is the Executive Director of Malaysian Care, a member of CANOPI (Christian Advocacy Network on Poverty Issue).

** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.