Mass Grave Discoveries Lead to Human Trafficking Charges in Malaysia

25-6-2023

Lone de Chene

SOUTH EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC Researcher,

Global Human Rights Defence.

On Friday morning, four Thai nationals were charged with human trafficking in Malaysia. The men, aged between 30 and 58, were denied bail, and their case will be transferred to the high court for a hearing.

The charges stem from the discovery of mass graves along the Thai-Malaysian border. The first grave was found in April 2015 within makeshift camps that traffickers had established to transport people across the border. Following an intensified search, dozens more graves were uncovered. Many of the victims were Rohingya Muslims fleeing Myanmar, as Malaysia is considered a friendly, Muslim-majority country.

Since the discovery, Thai and Malaysian enforcement officials have been collaborating to investigate these camps. In 2017, Thailand convicted 62 individuals for their involvement in the deaths and trafficking of Rohingya and Bangladeshis to Malaysia through Thailand. Meanwhile, Malaysia established a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) in 2019, which concluded that no Malaysian enforcement officials, public servants, or local citizens were complicit in the trafficking syndicates. However, the RCI did find "gross negligence" on the part of border patrols who had failed to notice the existence of these camps.

Rohingya refugees are still under ongoing threat and continue to resort to dangerous means to reach Malaysia. The United Nations refugee agency reported that 2022 was one of the deadliest years for such crossings.

Sources and further readings:

Al Jazeera. (2023, June 23). Malaysia charges four Thais over mass graves, trafficking camps. Human Trafficking News | Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/6/23/malaysia-charges-four-thais-over-2015-mass-graves-refugee-camps

ABC News. (2023, June 23). Malaysia charges four Thais over mass graves and human trafficking camps found in 2015. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-23/malaysia-charges-thais-over-mass-graves/102518838

Associated Press. (2023, June 23). 4 Thais Extradited to Malaysia Over 2015 Mass Grave Discovery. VOA. https://www.voanews.com/a/thais-extradited-to-malaysia-over-2015-mass-grave-discovery/7149412.html