Mar 27, 2024 | Jobs, RM
APHR is looking for a Program Coordinator for Refugees and Migrant Rights who will lead the organisation’s work on the portfolio on Refugees and Migrant Rights across the ASEAN region including Timor Leste.
The role will involve a significant amount of research and advocacy work, as well as wider program work aimed at advancing the role and effectiveness of parliamentarians in advancing national, regional and international responses to these critical issues. He/She acts as the organisation’s focal point on the portfolio by monitoring developments, and maintaining close contact with APHR members and partners.
Contract duration: 8 months with possibility of extension.
Location: Remote, preferably in Southeast Asian capitals.
Line Management: The Program Coordinator for Refugees and Migrant Rights will report directly to the Programs Director.
Deadline for applications: Friday, 12 April 2024. Send your CV and cover letter to jobs@aseanmp.org with the subject heading “Application: Program Coordinator for Refugees and Migrant Rights”
Apologies in advance that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
ASEAN Nationals are encouraged to apply for this position. APHR is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce and encourages qualified candidates of all genders from all national, religious, and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply.
Click here for more information.
Jul 19, 2021 | RM, Statements
Click here for a Thai translation of this statement
Click here for a Malay translation of this statement
JAKARTA – As COVID-19 cases surge in Thailand and Malaysia, as well as elsewhere in the region, Southeast Asian lawmakers urge these governments to take more inclusive measures to protect everyone without discrimination, regardless of their migration status, ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) said today.
“While we are all affected by the pandemic, governments are excluding migrant workers from their social and public health policies in their response, leaving them behind and struggling to survive. We will never recover from this health crisis if we do not provide care for everyone, including all migrants. Government policies must ensure that they have equal access to immediate aid, testing, treatment, and vaccinations, without fear,” said Mercy Barends, an Indonesian Member of Parliament (MP) and APHR Member.
Amid record highs of daily COVID-19 cases and deaths in Thailand and Malaysia, migrants have been disproportionately affected. Widespread infections have been found among migrant worker communities due to over-crowded and unhygienic living conditions that increase the risk of COVID-19 spreading. Meanwhile, many migrant workers have lost their jobs and incomes, are facing severe financial challenges, and a shortage of food and clean drinking water. They continue to face discriminatory obstacles in receiving medical treatment and assistance from the government.
The governments of Thailand and Malaysia must include migrant workers in social protection measures on an equal basis as those of its citizens, and ensure that criteria for accessing essential services are not based on nationality, citizenship or immigration status, APHR said. Migrants who have contracted COVID-19 should be treated immediately and all should be granted access to vaccinations in the same manner as citizens.
As a long-term solution, ASEAN Member States must improve social protection and implement labor reforms, in line with their commitments made in the ASEAN Declaration on Strengthening Social Protection.
Last month, Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha announced the closure of camp sites for construction workers until the end of July, confining migrants in congested conditions with limited access to medicine and food. Shortly after, the Minister of Labor announced it would stop proactive COVID-19 testing and healthcare assistance for migrant workers in Bangkok and surrounding provinces. Meanwhile, approximately two million undocumented migrants are excluded from Thailand’s national COVID-19 vaccination programme, and migrant workers are not eligible for cash hand-out remedies.
In Malaysia, migrants are facing similar obstacles to receiving assistance, while ongoing raids, arrests and detentions by authorities are deterring migrants from coming forward for testing, medical treatment, or to be vaccinated. The fear of accessing essential services will likely result in an increase in undetected infections that can affect all communities, including through spikes in COVID-19 cases in overcrowded and unsanitary detention centres, as they did last year.
“These policies and actions contribute to the increasing stigma and hate speech against migrants online and offline. It is disgraceful that the governments of Thailand and Malaysia are contributing to divisive anti-migrant rhetoric, for what appears to be political gain at a time when they are coming under heavy criticism for their failure to contain the spread of the virus,” said Teddy Baguilat, former MP of the Philippines and APHR’s Interim Executive Director.
Jul 7, 2021 | Opinion Articles, RM
By Maria Chin Abdullah
Here in Malaysia, we are currently in the midst of the deadliest wave of COVID-19 yet. We all hope to remain safe from the virus, but I am concerned that many are being left behind without protection; not only from the virus, but also from arbitrary arrests and detention.
Recently, authorities have conducted immigration raids, sprayed disinfectant on migrants, and shared a poster online portraying “Rohingya migrants” as a security threat.
It is shameful to see government units such as the Immigration Department and Home Ministry promoting such anti-migrant and anti-refugee policies and narratives, fostering discrimination, violence and xenophobia within Malaysia.
These politicians know fully well that it is not in the country’s best interests to spread hateful rhetoric or to increase the number of people in detention during a pandemic. So, the question must be asked, in whose interest is it? It appears to me that it is nothing more than political scapegoating in the face of the government’s failure to tackle the spread of the virus and roll out the national vaccination program.
At the start of the pandemic last year, authorities appallingly rounded up thousands of migrants and refugees, pushed back boats of Rohingya refugees, and detained hundreds who arrived on our shores, all the while doing nothing to tackle a surge in hate speech against these communities. These xenophobic actions and policies heightened as the number of COVID-19 cases grew.
Unsurprisingly, the mass detentions were counterproductive and led to widespread infections, as the overcrowded and unhygienic prisons became the ideal breeding ground for the growth of COVID-19 clusters and deaths.
In February this year, the government promised not to detain any undocumented workers willing to be inoculated, but within a matter of months, this policy was reversed once again as the number of infections soared.
Despite the high risk of COVID-19 transmissions in detention facilities, our Home Minister is once again trying to convince Malaysians that the arrests and detentions during this month’s lockdown will help tackle the spread of the virus, and ensure that migrants become vaccinated.
Not only does this hostile approach actually undermine vaccination efforts, but it is counterproductive for the safety of everyone. Spreading fear only creates further barriers for refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented persons to access health services, as it destroys their trust, and therefore the likelihood of them coming forward for testing, treatment and vaccinations. If they remain in hiding, it increases the risk that COVID-19 infections will rise, making it increasingly difficult to reach herd immunity.
By refusing to ensure vaccine equity for all, the government is failing to follow both human rights and public health standards. If the government really is aiming to stop the spread of the virus, it would improve its cooperation with organizations such as UNHCR, as well as NGOs, to create a safe space for undocumented migrants, refugees and asylum seekers to be vaccinated without repercussions. It would also put firewalls in place to create a clear separation between migration enforcement authorities and the health care sector, and ensure that personal data is not shared with migration authorities without consent.
This would be a more humane and effective way to vaccinate undocumented persons. They should not be penalized for being unable to obtain valid documents, when many became undocumented after falling victim to trafficking, abuse, exploitation, and other hardships. Instead of detaining non-registered migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, alternative measures should first be considered.
COVID-19 does not discriminate, and neither should we. To truly protect all of us from the virus, what is really needed is an end to immigration raids and an inclusive response that ensures vaccines are safely accessible to all of us living in Malaysia.
So, I ask all of us, the next time we hear the government spread anti-migrant speech, and brag about rounding up migrants supposedly for our own safety, let’s ask ourselves: who is the government really trying to protect? Because by shifting blame onto those in the most vulnerable situation in our society, it certainly doesn’t appear to be the general public, but instead themselves.
Maria Chin Abdullah is a Malaysian Member of Parliament and Member of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR)
Jun 2, 2021 | DFF, RM, Statements
JAKARTA – As the ASEAN Secretary-General and a representative of the ASEAN Chair, Brunei, are expected to visit Myanmar this week, parliamentarians across Southeast Asia urge them to hold the military accountable for its blatant disregard of the five-point consensus, and to meet with all major stakeholders in Myanmar, ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) said today.
“More than one month since the ASEAN leaders’ meeting on Myanmar, the military has merely carried on with its brutal crackdown against the people,” said Charles Santiago, a Malaysian Member of Parliament (MP) and Chair of APHR. “How many more innocent lives must be lost before ASEAN decides to move beyond words and actually put in place binding measures and lay out consequences for the military’s brutality?”
This visit must also be the occasion for ASEAN to meet with State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint, who have been in detention since the military coup on 1 February, APHR said.
“If ASEAN only meets with the military it risks, once again, playing into the junta’s public relations exercise and granting them legitimacy, when all they deserve is admonition,” Santiago added.
To have a genuine and inclusive dialogue with all parties, ASEAN’s delegation must also meet with representatives of the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) and Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs).
“The delegation must make it clear to Min Aung Hlaing that constructive dialogue cannot be possible while political prisoners remain behind bars. It must demand to see them and urge their release. Otherwise, this trip to Myanmar may be completely worthless,” said Kasit Piromya, a former MP of Thailand and APHR Board Member.
The visit comes more than one month after an ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting was held, at which a Five-Point Consensus was agreed to by all who attended, including Myanmar Commander-in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
As the Myanmar army continues its attacks and airstrikes, APHR also urges ASEAN Member States to help address the immediate needs of displaced persons inside the country and protect all persons seeking asylum. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates that 61,000 persons have been internally displaced and over 12,000 refugees have fled Myanmar since 1 February.
“Not only is the military committing serious human rights violations, but they are causing a humanitarian and refugee crisis. ASEAN must urge the military to grant all humanitarian organizations and agencies inside Myanmar and across borders immediate, unfettered and unimpeded access to to all those in need,” Piromya said.
Feb 26, 2021 | RM, Statements
The Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN), Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) and the International Detention Coalition (IDC) strongly urge the Government of Malaysia to grant UNHCR immediate and unfettered access to immigration detention facilities. We further urge the government to investigate the deportation on 23 February 2021 of 1,086 individuals to Myanmar, in defiance of the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s interim stay order granted earlier that day.
On 22 February, Amnesty International Malaysia and Asylum Access Malaysia jointly filed an action in the Kuala Lumpur High Court to prevent the deportation of 1,200 persons to Myanmar. Several hours after the interim halt to deportation order was granted, the Malaysian government handed 1,086 individuals to Myanmar naval ships in flagrant violation of the court order. The next day, the High Court issued an extended stay order against the deportation of the remaining 114 individuals.
The Malaysian government has yet to provide information on the 114 persons or their whereabouts. Immigration officials asserted that the 1,086 deported did not include Rohingya refugees or asylum seekers. However, there is a substantial risk that the group includes refugees and asylum seekers, including unaccompanied children. According to Asylum Access and Amnesty International Malaysia, there were at least three UNHCR card holders and 17 children among those scheduled for deportation. APRRN also received troubling confirmation that at least two of those children was separated from their family and deported back to Myanmar alone.
The risk is also particularly acute given that UNHCR has been denied access to verify and assess individuals fleeing persecution since August 2019. Malaysia also lacks a domestic policy and legal framework for the identification and recognition of refugees in the country. In November 2020, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) estimated that there were approximately 1,000 refugees and people seeking asylum still in detention. The Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed that as of 26 October 2020, more than 756 minors are in immigration detention, with over 326 unaccompanied or separated children from Myanmar.
Returning individuals in need of international protection to Myanmar, especially children rendered unaccompanied through forcible separation from their parents or guardians, would amount to serious violation of Malaysia’s Child Act and Malaysia’s international obligations, notably the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the principle of non-refoulement.
Since the forceful seizure of power by the Myanmar military on 1 February 2021, Myanmar has seen the largest protest and uprising, calling for the restoration of democracy. Grave human rights abuses and tension have also risen steadily with hundreds of arbitrary arrests and detentions, deliberate internet disruption and disconnection from the outside world. With the escalating concerns over the rapid deterioration amidst a health crisis, “the use of deadly violence” by the military on innocent civilians, including the recent killing of a 14-year old was heavily condemned by the United Nations Secretary General in the 46th UN Human Rights Council session. World leaders, including G7 countries and neighbouring members of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) continue expressing deep concern about the ongoing repression, horrifying loss of lives and the developments that would lead to serious regional instability. Malaysia was amongst the ASEAN countries which echoed that the political turmoil in Myanmar may affect security and stability in the region and is “one step backward in the process of democracy in that country”.
Ethnic minorities, many exiled in Malaysia, including amongst the 1,086 deported, have suffered atrocities for decades under the rule of the military. There is great fear that life for these ethnic minorities deported back to a military regime will likely worsen. Given the increasing instability and drastic shift in the political landscape in Myanmar, individuals who were previously not exposed to protection risks might now face severe security and safety threats.
We therefore call upon the Malaysian government to:
- Urgently grant UNHCR immediate and unrestricted access to the 114 individuals and all immigration detention facilities to verify the status of all detainees;
- Release individuals in need of international protection as identified by UNHCR who are still in detention, especially amongst the 114 who remained;
- Comply with the extended stay order issued by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on 24 February against the deportation of the remaining 114 who were part of the original 1,200 to be deported; and
- Open an independent and thorough investigation into the breach by the immigration department of the court order on 23 February, ensuring that those acting in violation of the court order are held fully accountable.
Feb 18, 2021 | RM, Statements
JAKARTA – Malaysia must immediately suspend the planned repatriation of Myanmar nationals, amid reports that Myanmar’s military government has offered to take back its citizens held in Malaysian immigration detention centers, Southeast Asian parliamentarians said today.
“It is utterly abhorrent that Malaysia is cooperating with the Myanmar junta that has illegally seized power, and even more so to return Myanmar nationals to a situation of danger and unrest. Many of them could be refugees and asylum seekers who will be put back into the hands of the Myanmar military who caused them to flee violence and desperation in the country in the first place,” said Chamnan Chanruang, a member of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), and a former Thai Member of Parliament (MP). “Malaysian authorities should immediately grant access to UNHCR to verify the identities of those in immigration detention centers and ensure that nobody requiring international protection is returned to Myanmar,” he said.
The government of Malaysia accepted an offer by the Myanmar military to send three navy ships on 21 February for 1,200 Myanmar nationals held in Malaysian immigration detention centers to be returned to Myanmar. Although Malaysia has said that it will not deport any UNHCR card holders, UNHCR has not had access to immigration detention centers in Malaysia since August 2019, and it is therefore believed that there may nevertheless be refugees and asylum seekers among those scheduled to be deported who were arrested in mass immigration raids by Malaysian authorities last year. They are likely to face persecution upon return to Myanmar.
Parliamentarians from the region are highly concerned about the safety and wellbeing of Myanmar nationals currently in the detention centers, and urge Malaysia to respect its commitments to international law and international protection, including the principle of non-refoulement. They urge the government to recognize that the recent military coup could result in more widespread human rights abuses, and threatens peace and stability in the region.
“The coup is threatening the lives of all vulnerable communities. There is no doubt that the risk of further discrimination and violence against ethnic and religious minorities, including the Rohingya, is high. We know what the Myanmar military is capable of in terms of human rights abuses,” said Teddy Baguilat, an APHR Board Member, and former Philippine MP.
“Instead of pandering to the Myanmar military government and putting more lives at risk, Malaysia should instead work with its ASEAN neighbors to help protect the lives of the Myanmar people currently peacefully protesting, and at risk of a violent crackdown at the hands of the junta,” Baguilat said.
