Calls for PM to tackle hate speech, threats against Rohingya refugees

A group of 84 human rights organisations have urged Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to address the hate speech and violent threats made against Rohinga refugees in the country.

In a joint letter to the premier, Article 19's head of Asia programme Matthew Bugher (below) said that immediate action is needed to reduce the risk of violent conflict.

“There is a real risk that the discriminatory and dehumanising language circulating on social media platforms and elsewhere sparks violence and other human rights abuses against the Rohingya.

"Immediate action is needed to reduce the risk of violent conflict, and longer-term initiatives should be undertaken to address the root causes of hate speech and intolerance.”

Among those who received a death threat was the Rohingya spokesperson Zafar Ahmad Abdul Ghani over fake social media posts linked to him, and human rights activist Tengku Emma Zuriana Tengku Azmi who received numerous threats including rape when she questioned the government's policy on Rohinga refugees intercepted at sea.

The proliferation of attacks against the Rohingya arose after authorities on April 16 prevented boats with Rohingya refugees from landing on Malaysian shores, igniting mixed reaction from the public and civil society.

In the joint letter, the organisations claimed that the action by the government to repel the boats violated the principle of non-refoulement under the international human rights law and threatened the lives of hundreds of Rohingya.

"Malaysia also has an obligation under international law to respond to boats in distress and enact and coordinate rescue operations," the letter reads.

It further stressed that although Malaysia has not ratified core human rights treaties such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the human rights guarantees in the Constitution allow a wide scope for interpretation.

"Given the fundamental importance of human rights, and their recognition in the Malaysian Constitution, it is of the utmost importance that every effort be made to ensure that Malaysian laws are interpreted, to the extent possible, in a manner that respects human rights."

The signatories of the letter include Amnesty International Malaysia, Burma Campaign UK, Beyond Borders Malaysia, Canadian Rohingya Development Initiative, and Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram).

The full letter can be read here.

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