Malaysia - June 2024

Malaysian officials evicted over 500 members of the nomadic Bajau Laut community and demolished their homes in June. The Bajau Laut are  are stateless despite living in the area for centuries and lack access to basic services and civil and political rights. Authorities argued the demolished homes were constructed with permits and defended the action in the face of criticism from rights groups arguing the evictions and demolitions were necessary to combat cross-border crime and protect security. On 27 June the activist who publicized the evictions was briefly arrested under the Sedition Act, a colonial-era anti-communist law that critics have long argued is primarily used to silence critics of the government and faces up to three years in jail. Amnesty International Malaysia called on the government to “end its evictions of the Bajau Laut people, address human rights violations, and not punish those who expose what is going on.”

Sources: Reuters, Amnesty International, Malay Mail