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Stop the repatriation of the Sri Lankan refugees and asylum seekers now!

Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) Urgent Appeal - January 6, 2010 (see sample letter below)

SUARAM has been informed that the Malaysian Government is planning deport about 17 or more Sri Lankan asylum seekers and refugees on 7 and 8 January 2010. This group of Sri Lankans was transferred from Machap Umboo Immigration Detention Centre to KLIA Immigration Detention Centre yesterday.

We were also informed that individuals from the group have expressed that they do not want to go back to Sri Lanka, making this a forced repatriation exercise. Asylum seekers and refugees can only be repatriated to their country of origin only if it is voluntary.

We demand that the Malaysian Government fully respects the international customary law of non-refoulement, which prohibits the return of people to places where they may face persecution or threats to their life or freedoms. Protection from refoulement is the basic right of asylum seekers and refugee.

We demand that the group of Sri Lankan refugees and asylum seekers are given access to UNHCR immediately and consequently upon verification, released into UNHCR’s official care. All asylum seekers who have been detained by authorities must be given access to UNHCR who will verify their asylum claims.

We also call upon the Malaysian Government to ensure that that all law enforcement agencies (in particular RELA, Police and Immigration) respect UNHCR documents and refrain from arresting holders of these documents.

Released by,
Temme Lee
Coordinator

Urgent action needed:

Please write protest letters to the government and the police to express your strongest condemnation of the mistreatment of refugees. Please also demand the Malaysian Government to stop the repatriation of Sri Lankan refugees.

Please call and send your protest letters to:

Shainurin Bin Shaari
Timbalan Penolong Pengarah Imigresen
Depot Tahanan Imigresen KLIA
Jalan Pekeliling 4
64050 Sepang
Kuala Lumpur

Tel: +603-87766867
Fax: +603-87766913

Dato' Abdul Rahman bin Othman
Director-General of Immigration Department,
Director-General’s Office,
Immigration Department of Malaysia Headquarters,
Level 7 (Podium),
No 15, Persiaran Perdana, Presint 2,
62550 Putrajaya,
Malaysia

Tel: +603-88801005
Fax: +603-88801201
E-Mail: kpi@imi.gov.my

Y.B. Dato' Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein
Home Minister
Ministry of Home Affairs
Blok D1 & D2, Kompleks D
Pusat Pentadbiran
Kerajaan Persekutuan
62546 Putrajaya

Tel: +603-8886 8000
Fax: +603-88884913
Email: hishammuddin@moha.gov.my/menteri@moha.gov.my

Dato' Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak
Prime Minister of Malaysia,
Prime Minister's Office,
Main Block, Perdana Putra Building,
Federal Government Administrative Centre,
62502 Putrajaya, MALAYSIA

Tel: +603-8888 8000
Fax: +603-8888 3444
E-Mail: ppm@pmo.gov.my

Sample letter

[Letterhead of your organisation]

Tel: +603-88801005
Fax: +603-88801201
E-Mail: kpi@imi.gov.my

Dear Sir,

RE: Stop the Repatriation of the Sri Lankan Refugees Now

We are writing to you to express our outrage and our strongest condemnation over your government's treatment of Sri Lankan refugees in Malaysia.

We are appalled by your government and the Immigration Department’s latest move to allow the deportation of Sri Lankan asylum seekers and refugees. This is an outright violation of the right to seek asylum as enshrined under Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This is also an outright violation of the international customary law of non-refoulement, which prohibits the return of people to places where they may face persecution or threats to their life or freedoms

We demand that the 17 Sri Lankan refugees detained at KLIA Immigration Detention Centre are released immediately into the custody of UNHCR. We demand that UNHCR is given immediate and free access to register those who have yet to access UNHCR.

We demand that the Malaysian Government take measures to protect the rights of refugees and asylum seekers who are currently in Malaysia and fully respect the principle of non-refoulement, as recommended by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), two UN Conventions of which Malaysia is party to.

We strongly urge you, once again, to stop bringing shame to Malaysia and to ratify 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol.

Yours sincerely,

[Name]