Malaysian government officials have said that they will not meet China’s request to repatriate local Uighur refugees and will allow them to seek refuge in third countries if their lives are in danger.
The Southeast Asian country has been a transit area for the Uighur Muslim population of Xinjiang fleeing Chinese government repression and detention and traveling to Turkey. In this regard, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof said that Malaysia respects the right of sovereign nations to manage their internal affairs, but at the same time Malaysia recognizes the oppression Uighurs face in China.
Yusof made the statement in a written response to a question from the Malaysian parliament, which was posted on the Malaysian parliament’s website. The media believe that this is the first time the Malaysian government has explicitly stated that it will not repatriate Uighur refugees.
In his written response, Yusof said, “Therefore, if there are any Uighur refugees who have fled to Malaysia for refuge, Malaysia has decided not to repatriate Uighur refugees, even at the request of China.”
Yusof said, “If they fear for their safety, or may face persecution and feel they will not be protected and treated fairly in their home country, they will be allowed to go to a third country.”
It is unclear when the document was uploaded. The Chinese Embassy in Malaysia had no immediate comment on the matter.
In October 2018, China asked Malaysia to repatriate local Uighur refugees, but Malaysia released 11 Uighur refugees and sent them to Turkey.
Then-Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir said that “China strongly opposed it” but that those released had “done nothing wrong” in Malaysia. Mahathir then said that Malaysia was too small a country to confront China about the Uighurs.
The U.N. says that at least a million Uighurs and other Muslim people have been imprisoned by the Chinese government in “vocational skills education and training centers. Beijing claims that these centers are designed to “preventively” eradicate extremism and teach new skills.
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