MALAYSIA: ROHINGYA SITUATION STATUS QUO

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUALA LUMPUR 000079

SIPDIS

FOR EAP/MTS AND PRM

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2014
TAGS: PREF PHUM PREL SMIG BM ID TH MY
SUBJECT: MALAYSIA: ROHINGYA SITUATION STATUS QUO

Classified By: Political Counselor Mark D. Clark for reasons 1.4 (b and
d).


1. (C) Summary: The UNHCR has not detected any change in
the status quo or increase in the number of Rohingya refugees
entering Malaysia so far this year. A Foreign Ministry
official said Malaysia would have "no problem" in joining a
contact group with Thailand on the Rohingya situation, but
gave no indication the GOM would take an active role in
addressing the Rohingya situation. GOM plans to issue
temporary stay permits to the Rohingya remain stalled. End
Summary.


2. (C) Post has remained in frequent contact with UNHCR and
informed NGOs regarding the situation of Burmese Rohingya
refugees and trends possibly affecting Malaysia. On February
6, Poloff discussed the current situation of Rohingya
refugees with Henrik Nordentoft, the UNHCR Deputy
Representative in Malaysia. Nordentoft told us the UNHCR has
not/not detected any change in the influx of Rohingya
refugees into Malaysia or change in the status quo. He said
the primary route used by the Rohingya is to travel by boat
to Thailand and then cross overland into Malaysia. UNHCR's
most recent report of arrivals involved 53 Rohingya who
reached Thailand via boat on December 8, 2008. The group
reportedly entered Malaysia, in Penang state, on January 8.
The UNHCR has noticed that Rohingya activist groups have
realized the political value of calling themselves "Boat
People" and are trying to describe a wider swath of Rohingya
under that banner in the hopes of increasing international
attention. UNHCR/Malaysia continues to monitor the situation
in Thailand and Indonesia and how this might affect Malaysia.



3. (C) Poloff spoke on February 6 with R. Selvaraj Ramasamy,
Principal Assistant Secretary in the Multilateral Division
within the Foreign Ministry, regarding Malaysia's position
regarding the Rohingya Selvaraj reiterated that Malaysia
does not recognize refugee status. He said the Thai
government proposed using a contact group to discuss two main
issues, the Rohingya and the trafficking of persons along the
Thai-Malaysian border. Selvaraj stated the GOM has "no
problem" being members of such a contact group. He noted
Malaysia sees ASEAN and separate bilateral talks between
Malaysia and involved regional countries as possible
approaches for discussing the Rohingya and other Burmese
migrant issues. He acknowledged that the GOM was watching
the current situation of Rohingya boat people, but said, "The
1000 Rohingya (boat people) is not Malaysia's problem, it is
Thailand's."


4. (C) Selvaraj blamed the Burmese government for the
outflow. He informed us GOM representatives met recently
with Burmese officials regarding the possibility of Rohingya
in Malaysia being able to return to Burma. Burmese officials
replied that the Rohingya are not Burmese and instead
described them as Bangladeshi. Poloff asked about Malaysia's
2006 pledge to issue IMM-13 cards (similar to USG's Temporary
Protective Status program) to Rohingya already in Malaysia
and registered with the UNHCR, currently about 14,225
persons. He said issuing IMM-13 cards was "in the pipeline,"
but there was "no political will" to authorize issuing the
cards. Selvaraj said if the Rohingya were issued IMM-13
cards, the Malaysian government would allow Rohingya children
to attend schools and initiate training programs so "the men
can work on plantations and Rohingya women can work as maids."


5. (U) A team from PRM, including the regional refugee
coordinator, will be in Kuala Lumpur February 9-11. The team
and Embassy officers are scheduled to meet Selvaraj and UNHCR
officials during the trip and will gain more information
related to the Rohingya.
KEITH