Malaysia stands firm on not deporting Uyghurs, risking Beijing’s anger
- Malaysia’s position, revealed in a written parliamentary reply, could result in some Uygurs in Southeast Asia seeking refuge in the Muslim-majority country
- The hardline stance contrasts with that of Indonesia, which sent three Uygurs to Beijing at China’s behest last month
As China rails at the United States for removing from its list of terror groups the Eastern Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), which Beijing blames for terror attacks in Xinjiang province, a move by
Malaysia has garnered a muted response.
The Muslim-majority country in September quietly revealed in a parliamentary reply that it would never extradite Uyghurs who had fled China even if the request came directly from Beijing. There was no public announcement.
It marked the first time Malaysia had stated its position on the Uygurs and was in stark contrast to neighbouring Indonesia, which recently
in a move that was never publicly confirmed by either side.
Indonesia deported three Uygurs to China before Pompeo visit: source
31 Oct 2020
Sean R. Roberts, a professor of international development studies at George Washington University, said: “With this action, Malaysia is taking an important stance that many other states in the region, including Indonesia and Thailand, have been reluctant to take.
“It is likely to anger Beijing, but it is the responsible position,” added Roberts, the author of the book, The War on the Uygurs, which was published in September.
Mustafa Akyol, a prominent Turkish writer and senior fellow at the Cato Institute focusing on Islam and modernity, said Malaysia’s position signalled the “beginning” of steps by Muslim-majority countries to “protect Uygurs from the wrath of China”.