Malaysian court halts deportation of 1,200 Myanmar migrants

A Malaysian court Tuesday ordered a halt to the planned deportation of 1,200 Myanmar migrants to hear an appeal by two human rights groups, which say the migrants included refugees, asylum seekers and minors. The court order, following a legal bid by Amnesty International Malaysia and Asylum Access Malaysia, came just after the migrants were transported to a naval base where three Myanmar military ships were waiting to take them home.

“In light of the court ruling, the government must respect the court order and ensure that not one of the 1,200 individuals is deported today," said Amnesty International Malaysia’s director, Katrina Jorene Maliamauv.

Amnesty said the court will hear their appeal Wednesday and urged the government to reconsider its plans to send the migrants back home, where human rights violations are high following a Feb. 1 military coup that deposed the country's elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.