Thuzar Maung, her husband and two children who are living in Malaysia as UNHCR-verified refugees, were taken from a gated community in broad daylight

Maung, who runs a Muslim refugee support group, fled Myanmar for Malaysia in 2015 to escape growing violence against Muslims

Hadi Azmi

*Published: 6:00pm, 18 Jul, 2023

Updated: 6:00pm, 18 Jul, 2023*

Thuzar Maung, her husband and two children who are living in Malaysia as UNHCR-verified refugees, were taken from a gated community east of the city on July 4 in broad daylight. Photo: Bloomberg

Thuzar Maung, her husband and two children who are living in Malaysia as UNHCR-verified refugees, were taken from a gated community east of the city on July 4 in broad daylight. Photo: Bloomberg

Malaysian police on Tuesday said they were investigating the disappearance of a Myanmar pro-democracy activist and her family, who rights groups allege were the victims of a brazen kidnap a fortnight ago from their Kuala Lumpur home by men pretending to be police.

Thuzar Maung, her husband and two children who are living in Malaysia as UNHCR-verified refugees, were taken from a gated community east of the city on July 4 in broad daylight.

The driver of the car carrying the abductors told compound security guards that they were police officers. They left with Maung and her family several hours later around 7pm, along with the family’s cars, according to CCTV footage seen by Human Rights Watch.

A non-signatory of the 1951 Refugee Convention, Malaysia does not differentiate between refugees and undocumented migrants. Photo: EPA-EFE

Maung, an outspoken supporter of Myanmar’s pro-democracy movement, fled Myanmar for Malaysia in 2015 to escape growing violence against Muslims.

A “missing persons” investigation has been opened, Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan told This Week in Asia, without elaborating on when the investigation started or giving any potential leads.

Myanmar is in the grip of civil war as armed resistance to the junta that seized power in a 2021 coup mounts across the country, with funds and diplomatic support drummed up by pro-democracy activists outside Myanmar to help contest an increasingly forgotten conflict.

**Human Rights Watch on Monday called on Malaysian authorities to urgently locate the family. **

“We fear that Thuzar Maung and her family were abducted in a planned operation and are at grave risk,” said Elaine Pearson, its Asia director. “The Malaysian government should urgently act to locate the family and ensure their safety.”

The group also said that there were no signs of robbery inside the premises and the licence plate number on the abductor’s car was later found to be a fake.

One source close to the matter – requesting anonymity – speculated that the abduction was likely carried out by Myanmar’s military or their agents.

Maung ran the Myanmar Muslim Refugee Community (MMRC) that assisted refugees from that community, especially through the tense months of the Covid-19 lockdown that saw the Malaysian government detain refugees and migrants in cramped detention centres for fear of spreading the virus.

**Myanmar junta chief vows to take ‘decisive action’ against opponents and ethnic rebel fighters **

A non-signatory of the 1951 Refugee Convention, Malaysia does not differentiate between refugees and undocumented migrants, despite working together with refugee groups including the UNHCR.

According to the UNHCR, almost 90 per cent of the 183,430 refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia who are registered with them are from Myanmar, comprising Rohingya, Chin and other ethnic groups.

The World Bank unofficially estimates between 1.2 million to 3.5 million undocumented migrants live in Malaysia, making it one of the largest migrant-receiving countries in Southeast Asia.

HRW previously criticised Malaysia for deporting over 2,000 Myanmar nationals – including military defectors – to face junta authorities between April to October last year.

They were returned without assessment of their asylum claims or other protection needs, it added.

At the time, the UNHCR said it “deplored” the move, saying sending them back to Myanmar exposes them to harm and danger.

“Myanmar nationals already abroad should not be forced to return when seeking international protection,” it said.

Hadi Azmi is the Post's Malaysia Correspondent. Based in Kuala Lumpur, he covers Malaysian politics and current affairs. He has written for Bloomberg, The New York Times, and CNN.