Why Malaysia is sending migrants back to war-torn Myanmar - Asia Specific podcast, BBC World Service
Description: Malaysia has begun sending migrants from Myanmar home, with the first group of almost 1,500 people arriving in southern Yangon in early October. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says in total, 5,000 people will be sent home, and he describes the repatriations as ‘voluntary’, a claim human rights groups question.
Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽 https://bbc.in/3VyyriM
The migrants being repatriated have been living in detention centers often in poor conditions, with no prospect of long-term residency as Malaysia is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention and does not legally recognize refugees or asylum seekers.
The country also treats all undocumented migrants as illegal immigrants, leaving them in legal limbo.
But human rights groups say returning to Myanmar isn’t much of an alternative. Burmese nationals returning to their home country run the risk of being conscripted into the local military junta or ethnic rebel groups.
And the Rohingyas, a stateless ethnic minority group that fled a Myanmar military crackdown in 2017, could face a particularly troubling fate if returned to Myanmar, as they do not have citizenship and have no safe place to return to.
Attitudes in Malaysia towards migrants fleeing from Myanmar have been relatively welcoming in the past, and there are now almost 200,000 migrants in the country.
So what’s changed? And what does the repatriation policy say about Prime Minister Anwar Ibraham’s political position?
On this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi is joined by BBC South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head and human rights lawyer for Asylum Access Malaysia, Joanne Chua.
Read more about the conflict here 👉🏽https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckj06542e5neo
00:00 Introduction
02:01 Understanding Malaysia's repatriation of Burmese migrants
04:37 What is going on with the repatriation?
06:06 How are the Burmese migrants feeling?
06:47 Anwar Ibrahim's stance on Rohingya refugees
08:07 Malaysia's unique position on asylum seekers
09:13 Burmese ethnic minority groups and their escape from Myanmar
10:47 Why are asylum seekers choosing Malaysia?
11:36 Public hostility towards Rohingya refugees
15:55 Government response towards misinformation
17:12 Burmese migrants role in the informal economy
17:51 How Malaysia's latest move shifts ASEAN's stance
20:00 What will happen to Rohingyas in Malaysia?
Watch more episodes of Asia Specific here 👉🏽 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz_B0PFGIn4c3njIxB0KHuO8SS2mBMtUc
Instagram: @bbcworldservice
Email: asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Mariko Oi
Producers: Derek Cai, Cordelia Lee
Camera: Muhammad Firdaus Bin Mohd Ansary, Rosalehin Bin Rosli
Editor: Bill Birtles
----------------
This is the official BBC World Service YouTube channel.
If you like what we do, you can also find us here:
Instagram 👉🏽 https://www.instagram.com/bbcworldservice
Twitter 👉🏽 https://twitter.com/bbcworldservice
Facebook 👉🏽 https://facebook.com/bbcworldservice
BBC World Service website 👉🏽 https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldserviceradio
Thanks for watching and subscribing!
#BBCWorldService #WorldService #myanmar #rohingyanews #malysia Close description
Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽 https://bbc.in/3VyyriM
The migrants being repatriated have been living in detention centers often in poor conditions, with no prospect of long-term residency as Malaysia is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention and does not legally recognize refugees or asylum seekers.
The country also treats all undocumented migrants as illegal immigrants, leaving them in legal limbo.
But human rights groups say returning to Myanmar isn’t much of an alternative. Burmese nationals returning to their home country run the risk of being conscripted into the local military junta or ethnic rebel groups.
And the Rohingyas, a stateless ethnic minority group that fled a Myanmar military crackdown in 2017, could face a particularly troubling fate if returned to Myanmar, as they do not have citizenship and have no safe place to return to.
Attitudes in Malaysia towards migrants fleeing from Myanmar have been relatively welcoming in the past, and there are now almost 200,000 migrants in the country.
So what’s changed? And what does the repatriation policy say about Prime Minister Anwar Ibraham’s political position?
On this episode of Asia Specific, host Mariko Oi is joined by BBC South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head and human rights lawyer for Asylum Access Malaysia, Joanne Chua.
Read more about the conflict here 👉🏽https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckj06542e5neo
00:00 Introduction
02:01 Understanding Malaysia's repatriation of Burmese migrants
04:37 What is going on with the repatriation?
06:06 How are the Burmese migrants feeling?
06:47 Anwar Ibrahim's stance on Rohingya refugees
08:07 Malaysia's unique position on asylum seekers
09:13 Burmese ethnic minority groups and their escape from Myanmar
10:47 Why are asylum seekers choosing Malaysia?
11:36 Public hostility towards Rohingya refugees
15:55 Government response towards misinformation
17:12 Burmese migrants role in the informal economy
17:51 How Malaysia's latest move shifts ASEAN's stance
20:00 What will happen to Rohingyas in Malaysia?
Watch more episodes of Asia Specific here 👉🏽 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz_B0PFGIn4c3njIxB0KHuO8SS2mBMtUc
Instagram: @bbcworldservice
Email: asiaspecific@bbc.co.uk
Presenter: Mariko Oi
Producers: Derek Cai, Cordelia Lee
Camera: Muhammad Firdaus Bin Mohd Ansary, Rosalehin Bin Rosli
Editor: Bill Birtles
----------------
This is the official BBC World Service YouTube channel.
If you like what we do, you can also find us here:
Instagram 👉🏽 https://www.instagram.com/bbcworldservice
Twitter 👉🏽 https://twitter.com/bbcworldservice
Facebook 👉🏽 https://facebook.com/bbcworldservice
BBC World Service website 👉🏽 https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldserviceradio
Thanks for watching and subscribing!
#BBCWorldService #WorldService #myanmar #rohingyanews #malysia Close description