KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 — Putrajaya’s firm stand on not deporting Uighurs in the country to China may affect Malaysia’s ties with the Asian economic super power, a Hong Kong daily reported today.
“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.He added that this decision by Malaysia “may result” in Uighurs within South-east Asia seeking safe harbour in the country, though he acknowledged that there “is no evidence that Uighurs are presently able to flee China at all”.
National War College professor of Southeast Asian studies Zachary Abuza said Malaysia “has long been an important node in the underground railway for Uighurs seeking to escape to Turkey”. Akyol also added that while Uighurs are continuously being persecuted, “many Muslim leaders looked the other way because friendship with China pays”.
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