Malaysia gave refuge to Rohingya; now it wants them to go

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOKMalaysia welcomed persecuted Muslim minority but now plans to send them back to Myanmar amid rising hate against them.Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – The children sitting cross-legged on the floor are a mix of ages but are all enrolled in one class out of necessity. Coming from Rohingya families, they are not allowed to access formal education and must rely upon the generosity of donors to support informal learning centres, such as the one they attend in a quiet neighbourhood in Kuala Lumpur.“Because of their help, we can teach our kids here,” explained Riyadh Al Haq, a Rohingya human rights activist whose NGO runs the centre.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Human rights situation in Myanmar ‘plummets to new low’, UN sayslist 2 of 4Malaysia offers to invite Myanmar leader in Rohingya repatriation pushlist 3 of 4Myanmar military launches air strike on Rakhine market, killing at least 33list 4 of 4Malaysia begins sending back Rohingya refugees despite safety warningsend of listOn one recent morning, they were busy learning the Quran, but lessons also cover a standard range of academic subjects.They and their families are also not eligible to access the healthcare system, and their parents are not allowed to work and must rely on informal employment, such as at car washes, in restaurant kitchens and at courier services.Still, life for the estimated 125,000 Rohingya who now call Malaysia home is better than the lives they left behind in Myanmar.“Because of their [Malaysian people’s] kindness, our people can stay in this country. They can live here. We are more safe than in Myanmar,” Riyadh told Al Jazeera.People peer through holes in the wall of a restaurant to watch the International Court of Justice hearing in a Rohingya refugee camp on January 23, 2020 in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. The ICJ is expected to announce its verdict next month. More than 750,000 Rohingya took shelter in Bangladesh in the wake of a brutal military crackdown in 2017 [Allison Joyce/Getty Images]Repatriation criticisedHowever, on Tuesday, the Malaysian government began the repatriation of an initial group of nearly 1,500 Rohingya to Myanmar. The operation has drawn renewed attention to the plight of the Rohingya people, regarded as one of the world’s most persecuted minorities. The Muslim ethnic group is essentially stateless because they are not recognised as citizens by Myanmar.