ABANDON FORCED REPATRIATION OF ACHEHNESE POLITICAL REFUGEES

Aliran is deeply concerned over the reported deaths of eight Indonesian refugees from Acheh and a Malaysian policeman in a clash at the Semenyih Detention Centre on 26 March 1998.

According to informed sources, there are 290 Achehnese refugees in the Semenyih camp.  Most had fled to Malaysia in search of political sanctuary when conflict between the Indonesian military and resistance fighters occurred in Acheh province in the early 1990s.

Apparently, the “riot” in Semenyih broke out when the police began operations to forcibly repatriate these refugees back to Indonesia.  These Achehnese are refugees who have sought political asylum in Malaysia.   They are not illegal immigrants.  And unlike illegal Indonesian immigrants who are currently being rounded up and deported to Indonesia, these Achehnese refugees face imminent dangers to their lives.  They risk imprisonment, torture and perhaps execution for their past political activities.

To safeguard the fundamental human rights of the Achehnese, Aliran therefore, calls upon the Malaysian government to:

• Abandon its forced repatriation of these Achehnese political refugees immediately;
• Allow the UN Human Rights Commission in Malaysia and the International Committee of Red Crescent (ICRC) to have access to these refugees;
• Set up an independent Committee of Inquiry to investigate into the unfortunate loss of lives of the eight Achehnese and the Malaysian policeman;  and
• Make public the results of this independent Inquiry.

Dr Francis Loh
Hon. Secretary
27 March 1998