Malaysia will not deport Uighur refuges from China, even if China expressly requests it.
The policy has not been publicly announced, but was revealed in a reply by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof to a parliamentary question. ‘If there are any Uygur refugees who flee to Malaysia for protection, Malaysia has decided to not extradite Uygur refugees even if there is a request from the People’s Republic of China,’ the reply read.
This has been interpreted but represents a significant rebuke to China, which sees the pacification on the Uighur population of Xinjiang as a non-negotiable security matter, as well as an entirely internal one.
Prof Sean Roberts of George Washington University, remarked: ‘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.’
China’s stance on the Uighur population has generated enormous controversy across the world. Support for their cause from Muslim-majority countries has been uneven, since close maintaining close ties to China holds important economic advantages, and China’s insistence that external actors should not meddle in internal matters is welcomed by countries with questionable governance records.
Relatively few Uighurs are believed to be in Malaysia, but experts note that it is sometimes used as part of a route out of China for Uighurs seeking to reach Turkey, where they hope for protection and residence rights.