Forced migrations in South-East Asia

From India to East Timor, from 1947 until 2002, every State in South-East Asia obtained full independence with new ruling elites forced to face the consequences of the colonialist strategy of “divide and rule”. Malaysia is one of the main ports of arrival and transit for thousands of vulnerable persons who are still fleeing those countries seeking refuge from poverty, conflict, and discrimination. However, Malaysian law does not provide special protection for asylum seekers, refugees or stateless persons. Undocumented immigrants are not allowed to work, own property, enroll for the public education system, nor are they granted full access to national healthcare. This work aims at giving an overview of the legal framework created by the International Community to assist refugees, of the main patterns of forced displacement in South-East Asia, and of the shortcomings of the Malaysian case by telling the stories, tragically true, of refugees.