Malaysia urged to allow Rohingya refugee boats to land

 Human Rights Watch said Saturday that coronavirus pandemic doesn't justify Malaysia's turning away of overloed boats carrying Muslim Rohingya and risking refugees' lives.

New York-based rights group ted that Malaysia h recently pushed back to sea at least two boatlos of Rohingya refugees. Despite Malaysia's partial coronavirus lockdown that prevents foreigners from entering country, Human Rights Watch said pandemic should t be an excuse for a blanket policy of turning away boats in distress.

“Malaysia’s claims to support rights of Rohingya mean shockingly little when y push desperate refugees back to sea,” said Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watch's Asia director. “ COVID-19 pandemic does t create a justification for risking lives of refugees on overcrowded boats.”

Predominantly Muslim Malaysia has previously protested persecution of Rohingya and sought justice for m. But its navy on Thursday intercepted a boat with some 200 Rohingya refugees off its rrn coast and prevented it from entering Malaysian waters. fate of that boat is unkwn.

On Wednesday, Banglesh coast guard officials rescued a boatlo of 382 starving Rohingya refugees. Survivors said boat h been turned away from Malaysian waters weeks earlier and that at least 30 people on board h died before rescue.

Malaysia's National Security Council on Saturday defended decision by enforcement ncies to turn away boat amid concerns that refugees might be exposed to coronavirus. Malaysia, which has recorded 5,251 coronavirus cases with 86 deaths, has tightened border patrols to prevent illegal immigrants from sneaking in, National Security Council said.

Siti Sabrina Imji Rahim, a senior official on council's COVID-19 task force, said that sending refugees to detention camps could increase risk of spreing virus. She said in an email reply to a query from Associated Press that refugees were given food and fresh water before being turned away.

Human Rights Watch, however, said Malaysia’s pushback policy violates international obligations to provide access to asylum seekers, and ted that refugees could have been isolated or quarantined. It said COVID-19 outbreak has only intensified misery of an estimated 600,000 Rohingya who remain in Myanmar and nearly a million living in refugee camps in Banglesh after fleeing persecution by Myanmar's military.

“ Malaysian government can both protect against spre of virus and ensure that those risking ir lives at sea are rescued and given a chance to seek asylum,” Robertson said.