Malaysia takes over 100 Rohingya asylum seekers into custody
Malaysian authorities detained more than 100 Rohingya asylum seekers outside the UN refugee agency in Kuala Lumpur. The group said it had fled Penang after being driven from its homes.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian authorities detained more than 100 Rohingya Muslim asylum seekers on Monday after they gathered outside the UN refugee agency in the capital, saying they were seeking protection following their eviction from homes in Penang.
The group, which included women and children, was taken away with its belongings in four police trucks at about 8:30pm, according to witnesses at the scene. A police official said the detainees were being brought to Kuala Lumpur police headquarters for further checks.
The refugees said local residents in the northern state of Penang had forced them out on Sunday. They then travelled overnight by bus to Kuala Lumpur to ask the UNHCR for help with resettlement.
Penang police gave a different account of their departure, saying the Rohingya had “voluntarily moved” to Kuala Lumpur with assistance from state and federal authorities, including the National Security Council.
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