Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that Myanmar has agreed to take 5,000 Rohingya refugees currently in Malaysia. This decision comes after recent tensions between the refugees and local communities in Malaysia.
Background
Muslim-majority Malaysia has long been a safe haven for Rohingya fleeing persecution in largely Buddhist Myanmar. There are around 126,000 Rohingya registered with the UNHCR in Malaysia as of the end of February. For decades, Rohingya have been denied citizenship in Myanmar, leading to them becoming the world’s largest stateless population, according to the UN.
Myanmar’s presidential office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Anwar’s statement. The UNHCR office in Kuala Lumpur also did not respond to a request for comment.
Refugee Tensions
Malaysian authorities recently detained over 100 Rohingya Muslim refugees who had gathered outside the UNHCR office in Kuala Lumpur, releasing them some days later after reviewing their documentation. The refugees had sought assistance from the U.N. agency after claiming they had been evicted from their homes by residents in northern Penang state.
Rohingya refugees in Malaysia have faced greater harassment and scrutiny, including the closure of community schools, in recent months after being targeted by online hate speech and misinformation.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
