PRM TEAM DISCUSSES ROHINGYA REFUGEE ISSUE WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUALA LUMPUR 000140 SIPDIS FOR EAP/MTS, PRM, AND G/TIP E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/25/2019 TAGS: PREF PHUM PREL SMIG KTIP MY SUBJECT: PRM TEAM DISCUSSES ROHINGYA REFUGEE ISSUE WITH FOREIGN MINISTRY REF: KUALA LUMPUR 79 - ROHINGYA SITUATION STATUS QUO Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor Jeremy Nathan for reasons 1.4 (b and d). Summary and Comment -------------- ¶1. (C) MFA officials told a visiting PRM team and our Regional Refugee Coordinator February 11 that while Malaysia does not recognize refugee status, it is willing to participate in regional talks on the issue. The representative noted that there is not currently the political will in Malaysia to provide Rohingya refugees with temporary protective status, as doing so the GOM feared could "open the floodgates" to greater refugee flows. ¶2. (C) Comment: The GOM remains concerned about the "pull-factor" associated with providing refugees official status. For the near-term, GOM cooperation on refugee resettlement programs will remain low-key. It appears unlikely that the GOM will take a proactive stance in seeking regional solutions regarding the refugees at the upcoming meetings in Thailand. End Summary and Comment. PRM Meets with MFA -------------- ¶3. (C) R. Selvaraj Ramasamy, Principal Assistant Secretary in the Multilateral Division within the Foreign Ministry, reiterated Malaysia's policy of not recognizing refugees during a February 11 meeting with PRM officers Margaret Burkhardt and Kelly Gauger, Regional Refugee Coordinator Tim Scherer, and Poloff. Selvaraj said the policy was based on the government's concern that recognizing refugees already in Malaysia would "open the floodgates." He also stated that the GOM considered the Rohingya boat people to be Thailand's problem and that Malaysia was only interested in the Rohingya already present within Malaysia. When asked about providing IMM-13 cards (similar to USG's Temporary Protective Status program),he stated that the National Security Council (NSC) formed a committee to evaluate the proposal to issue IMM-13 cards to approximately 14,500 Rohingya currently registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Selvaraj was not optimistic about the NSC authorizing the IMM-13s, as "there was a lack of political will." He mentioned that the Thai government intended to have a sidebar on refugees in the region at the upcoming ASEAN meeting in Chiang Mai (February 27 - March 1). Selvaraj said that the Malaysian Ambassador to Thailand would represent Malaysia at the sidebar. He also said representatives from Bangladesh and India might be invited to attend the sidebar, as refugees affected them as well. ¶4. (C) The PRM team explained the USG resettlement program in Malaysia and that the current plan was to increase the number of refugees resettled from Malaysia for FY2009 to approximately 6,000 (from 4,200 in FY2008). Selvaraj did not raise any objections to the plan. We acknowledged Malaysia's cooperation in the resettlement program, but urged the GOM to increase its efforts to protect refugees. Poloff reminded Selvaraj that the Director General of Immigration had not responded to Senator Lugar's letter about alleged trafficking of Burmese refugees by Immigration officials. Poloff stressed the importance of responding to the Senator's letter and that the government's response to the allegations could affect Malaysia's international reputation. The Director General of Immigration declined to meet with the PRM team to discuss allegations Immigration officials are involved in the exploitation and trafficking of Burmese refugees ¶5. (U) Embassy Bangkok Refcoord Tim Scherer and PRM Program Officer Margaret Burkhardt cleared this cable. RAPSON