Malaysia won't extradite Uighurs to China – minister
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4- Malaysia will not entertain requests to extradite ethnic Uighur refugees to China and will allow them safe passage to a third country should they feel their safety is at risk, a minister has said. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof, said Malaysia respects the right of sovereign countries to manage their own…
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 (Reuters) – Malaysia will not entertain
requests to extradite ethnic Uighur refugees to China and will
allow them safe passage to a third country should they feel
their safety is at risk, a minister has said.
Southeast Asia has been a preferred transit point to Turkeyfor ethnic Uighurs Muslims, fleeing what refugees and activistshave described as oppression and mass internment by the Chinesegovernment.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Mohd Redzuan MdYusof, said Malaysia respects the right of sovereign countriesto manage their own internal affairs, even if it recognises thatthe Uighurs face oppression in China.
Mohd Redzuan’s comments, made in a written parliamentaryreply posted on the legislature’s website, marked the first timeMalaysia has taken a clear position to not extradite Uighurrefugees.
“Hence, if there are any Uighur refugees who flee toMalaysia for protection, Malaysia has decided to not extraditeUighur refugees even if there is a request from the People’sRepublic of China,” Mohd Redzuan said.
“They are allowed to move on to a third country should theyfear for their safety or potentially face persecution, wherethey feel they would not receive protection and justice in theirhome country.”
It is unclear when the document was uploaded. China’sembassy in Kuala Lumpur did not immediately respond to a requestfor comment.
In October 2018, Malaysian authorities released https://reut.rs/3lPp38911 Uighurs from detention and sent them to Turkey, despite arequest from China to return them.
China “resolutely opposed” that and then-premier MahathirMohamad said those released had “done nothing wrong” inMalaysia.
Mahathir later said Malaysia was too small a country toconfront China over Uighurs.
The United Nations says at least 1 million ethnic Uighursand other Muslims have been detained in what China describes as”vocational training centers” to stamp out extremism and givepeople new skills.(Reporting by Joseph Sipalan; Editing by Martin Petty)
