Rohingyas in Malaysia face escalating wave of hate, doxing
Civil society warns that misinformation-fuelled hostility against Rohingya refugees is spilling offline, exposing them to dehumanization
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (MNTV) — Community leaders from the Rohingya community in Malaysia say they face escalating threats, doxing and intimidation beyond social media platforms, reports TRP.
Civil society groups warn that misinformation falsely portrays Rohingya refugees as seeking citizenship or political power, fuelling fear and hostility.
Organizations urge officials, media and law enforcement to reject hate speech and take threats against refugees seriously.
The wave of hatred directed at the Rohingya community in Malaysia is no longer confined to social media, with community leaders now reportedly being subjected to threats, doxing and intimidation, according to a joint statement issued by several civil society groups.
Beyond Borders, Tenaganita, and NS Initiative described the trend as “alarming and deeply shameful”, warning that such actions put an already vulnerable community at serious risk.
They also accused certain parties of deliberately spreading misinformation portraying Rohingya refugees as demanding citizenship, political power or territorial autonomy in Malaysia in an attempt to fuel fear and hostility. “Such actions put already vulnerable people at grave risk and have no place in a society that prides itself on compassion and justice,” the statement read.
The groups stressed that the Rohingya community did not flee Myanmar in search of privileges but rather to escape persecution and violence. “Let us be clear: the Rohingya did not come to Malaysia seeking privilege. They came seeking safety,” they stressed.
They added that the Rohingya are survivors of forced displacement, systematic discrimination, mass atrocities and violence that forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes in Myanmar.
According to the groups, responding to such suffering with mockery, threats and dehumanization runs contrary to the values of humanity and decency long upheld by Malaysians.
Although Malaysia is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, the organizations argued that the country remains bound by various international human rights obligations through treaties and conventions it has ratified.
These commitments, they said, include protecting human dignity, preventing discrimination and safeguarding the welfare of children, obligations that require all individuals within Malaysia to be treated humanely and protected from violence and abuse.
The groups also expressed concern over what they described as the growing normalization of hate speech against refugees.
They warned that public discourse has increasingly been saturated with narratives portraying refugees as criminals, invaders or threats solely because of their identity.
They also called on law enforcement agencies to take threats against refugees and humanitarian workers seriously, while urging Malaysians to resist attempts to pit communities against one another through lies and scapegoating.
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