Reject Hate, Uphold Justice: Standing with the Rohingya Against Persecution

The Malaysia National Organising Committee of the Asean Civil Society Conference/Asean Peoples’ Forum (ACSC/APF) unequivocally condemns the rising tide of hate speech and discrimination against the Rohingya community in Malaysia. Such rhetoric, particularly the recent online petition calling for the “removal” of the Rohingya community, is not only deeply damaging but also constitutes outright human rights violations disguised as economic development and national security. The ongoing hate campaign against the Rohingya people is a clear manifestation of xenophobia, exacerbated by the tendency to place the blame on the victims of persecution instead of holding their aggressors accountable.

While the Rohingyas have lived in Myanmar for generations, they were brutally stripped of their citizenship in 1982 by the Myanmar government as part of a ultra-nationalist propaganda centering the Myanmar ethnicity and the Buddhist faith. Being ethnically non-Myanma and Muslim, the Rohingya were legally denied their rights in their native lands. Successive military regimes continued to perpetuate such violations, rendering them the largest stateless population in the world. Due to the systemic violence, discrimination and persecution by the Myanmar state, many were internally displaced, with countless others forced to seek refuge elsewhere.

The primary beneficiaries of the persistent hate campaign against the Rohingya are the Myanmar military junta and their allies. At present, the home state of the Rohingya, i.e. Arakan/Rakhine State, remains a warzone with the Myanmar military junta and the Arakan Army embroiled in violent conflict. The period from November 2025 to April 2026 saw 411 armed clashes and attacks on civilians, resulting in the tragic deaths of 288 people, including women and children. This included 136 airstrikes in 12 townships that destroyed hospitals, markets, displaced persons camps, and homes. Conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) continues to disproportionately impact Rohingya women and children, with over 900 documented CRSV cases committed by the junta from February 2021 to May 2025.

The systematic destruction of the Rohingya villages has facilitated opportunities for significant economic ventures for the junta. The cleared lands are now viable for infrastructure projects and natural resource extraction, such as oil and gas pipelines, which the junta will exploit to fuel further war crimes. These projects are expected to bolster the military’s economic power through controlled commercial enterprises. China also benefits from such atrocities. The vast areas of land vacated as a result of the Rohingya genocide have become crucial for major infrastructure projects linked to roads and railways that connect the Arakan coast to inland China.

Reports also indicate that Rohingya individuals have been subjected to unlawful conscription by both the Myanmar military junta and the Arakan Army, compelling them to participate in a conflict that they did not choose. Amid escalating conflicts, forcing Rohingya back into an active war zone is not only a blatant violation of international law but an act of extreme cruelty. Any attempts to deport the Rohingya back into conditions of persecution, detention, or displacement in camps far from their original homes are part of a concerted effort to erase their identity, history, and connection to their homeland.

The hate campaign directed against the Rohingya also seeks to weaken international accountability mechanisms, including the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2020 to protect the Rohingya from further acts of genocide. Myanmar military regime sources published a news report that it would apply diplomatic pressure to ensure countries with universal jurisdiction cases like Indonesia and Timor-Leste to stop the pursuit of the process.

At present, the junta is facing increasing pressure from ASEAN and the international community to restore citizenship rights and provide protection for the Rohingya. The junta is currently facing legal actions from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for committing atrocity crimes against the Rohingya, as well as in other jurisdictions including Argentina4 and Timor-Leste. Yet, misinformation and hate narratives continue to mislead some in Malaysia, which hinders global efforts to hold these perpetrators accountable.

While acknowledging the legitimate concerns about refugee management and economic impact, it is crucial to engage in informed and constructive dialogue. It is crucial for all persons to reject hate speech and uphold the dignity of all human beings. Dehumanising language and attacks on vulnerable communities are unacceptable and must be met with zero tolerance. Policies must be developed with justice at their core, balancing humanitarian responsibilities with national interests.

Therefore, ACSC/APF Malaysia demands:

1. Change.org to remove the “Remove Rohingya from Malaysia” from its platform for violating its community guidelines, which prohibit hate and discrimination as well as false and misleading information.
2. Malaysia to ratify the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol and enact a comprehensive legal framework to protect the rights, safety, and dignity of Rohingya and other refugee communities.
3. Myanmar must recognise the Rohingya as citizens with equal rights under the law and take immediate action to end all atrocity crimes, systemic discrimination, and violence committed against them.
4. Asean must end its non-interference policy and strengthen its collective response to the Rohingya crisis by holding Myanmar, including former regimes and the military junta, accountable for violations against the Rohingya, facilitating regional protection mechanisms for refugees and enhancing humanitarian support.
5. The international community to remain vigilant in ensuring that international humanitarian and human rights laws are respected, providing protection to vulnerable populations.

About ACSC/APF:
ACSC/APF is an alternative regional platform for civil society organisations in Southeast Asia to advocate for rights-based, people-centred policies and actions in the region. We hold an annual forum and side events parallel to the ASEAN Summit.

For more information, kindly contact ACSC/APF Malaysia at acscapf.malaysia@gmail.com

Endorsed by:

1. Action Committee for Democracy Development
2. Advocates for Non-Discrimination and Access to Knowledge (Anak)
3. Aliansi Teh Susu Indonesia (Milk Tea Alliance – Indonesia)
4. All Women’s Action Society (Awam)
5. ALTSEAN-Burma
6. Arakan Youth Peace Network
7. Asean Sogie Caucus (ASC)
8. Asean Youth Forum
9. Asia Justice and Rights (Ajar)
10. Association of Spring Rainbow
11. Athan – Freedom of Expression Activist Organization
12. Beranda Migran (Indonesia)
13. Blood Money Campaign (BMC)
14. Borneo Komrad
15. Burma Campaign UK
16. Burmese Atheists
17. Centre for Independent Journalism
18. Defend Myanmar Democracy
19. Doh Atu – Ensemble pour le Myanmar
20. End Detention Network (EDN)
21. Equality Myanmar (EQMM)
22. Front Mahasiswa Nasional (Indonesia)
23. Greater Equitable Measures (GEM), Malaysia
24. India for Myanmar
25. Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI)
26. Info Birmanie
27. Italia-Birmania.Insieme
28. Justice for Sisters
29. Kachin Human Rights Watch (KHRW)
30. KL Queer Space
31. KLSCAH Youth
32. Kolektif Feminis Malaysia
33. Kyae Lak Myay
34. Kyauktada Strike Committee (KSC)
35. Magway Region Human Rights Network (MHRN)
36. Malaysia East Coast Coalition of Activists (Mecca)
37. Malaysian Protest 4 Palestine (MP4P)
38. Manushya Foundation
39. Migrant CARE Indonesia
40. MilkTeaAlliance Calendar Team
41. MilkTeaAlliance Friends of Myanmar
42. National Rural Women Coalition (Philippines)
43. Network for Human Rights Documentation – Burma
44. New Bloom (Taiwan)
45. New Myanmar Foundation
46. Persatuan Aliran Kesedaran Negara (Aliran)
47. Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (Empower)
48. Pride Borneo
49. Pride In Research
50. Progressive Muslim Youth Association (PMYA)
51. Progressive Voice (PV)
52. Pusat Komas
53. Queers of Burma Alternative
54. Refugee Action for Change – React
55. Rohingya Human Rights Initiative
56. Rohingya Maìyafuìnor Collaborative Network
57. Rohingya Rights Response – RRR
58. Rohingya Youth Support Network – RYSN
59. Sarawak Women for Women Society
60. SIS Forum
61. Sisters 2 Sisters
62. Sitt Nyein Pann Foundation
63. Solidarity for People’s Education and Lifelong Learning (Spell Philippines)
64. Suaram
65. Support Group for Democracy in Myanmar (The Netherlands)
66. Bersih
67. Undisclosed organisation
68. Undisclosed organisation
69. Volunteers in Myanmar
70. Women Lead Resource Center
71. Women’s March Malaysia
72. Yangon Deaf Group
73. Youth Empowerment
74. Yain Nweh Par (Rainbow Win The Storm)

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