PETALING JAYA: Myanmar refugees in the country want Malaysia and Australia to ensure asylum seekers’ rights before going ahead with their swap agreement.

“These governments must conduct a thorough investigation for these asylum seekers so that their rights are protected,” said Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organisation Malaysia president Zafar Ahmad Abdul Ghani in a statement here yesterday.
Zafar said the Malaysian Government should first sign the 1951 Refugee Convention to protect the asylum seekers’ rights and safety.

“As Malaysia is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, there are currently no legislative or administrative provisions in place for dealing with asylum seekers or refugees in the country,” he pointed out.

Also expressing his concerns over the Malaysia-Australia pact, he said it was vague on how the plan would stop human smugglers