Malaysia Accused of Violating Human Rights by Torturing Detainees
A recent report by Human Rights Watch has exposed the harsh conditions faced by refugees and migrants in Malaysia’s detention centres. According to the report, detainees, including children, are subjected to torture and deprived of basic needs in these facilities.
Violent and Squalid Conditions
The report describes the detention centres as oppressive environments where detainees are constantly under the threat of punishment. Former detainees reported witnessing and experiencing beatings, kicks, and other forms of physical abuse. Punishments also included being forced into stress positions, isolation, and withholding of meals.
Firsthand Accounts
One Rohingya refugee, Hussein, shared his experience of being detained in multiple centres. He recounted incidents of ethnic targeting, beatings, and constant surveillance by guards. Another former detainee, Ali, recalled instances of severe punishment, even for children, for seemingly minor infractions like asking for more food or water.
Ongoing Abuse
The report highlights the routine nature of abuse in these detention centres, with detainees subjected to multiple roll calls a day and prolonged periods of physical punishment. The lack of oversight and accountability has allowed such abuses to continue unchecked.
Overall, the report calls attention to the need for urgent reforms in Malaysia’s treatment of refugees and migrants to ensure that their human rights are protected and upheld.
Source: Al Jazeera