A regional human rights organisation has warned the government that any action to send a group of Acehnese asylum seekers back to their conflict-ridden home province would put the country in violation of international norms on the treatment of refugees.

In a open letter to Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Forum-Asia) said the forced repatriation of civilians into conflict situations such as that in Aceh is in contravention of international humanitarian law and practice.

Forum-Asia was referring to the government's announcement that it would deport more than 200 Acehnese asylum seekers who were arrested on Tuesday outside a the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees office in Kuala Lumpur.