Singaporean activist deported, barred from workshop
| Publisher | International Federation for Human Rights |
| Publication Date | 23 June 2017 |
| Cite as | International Federation for Human Rights, Singaporean activist deported, barred from workshop, 23 June 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/594cc9a94.html [accessed 28 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The Malaysian government must immediately lift the travel ban imposed on Singaporean activist Han Hui Hui, FIDH and its member organization Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) urged today.
FIDH and SUARAM condemn the Malaysian authorities' decision to deport Ms. Han back to Singapore and prevent her from participating in a human rights workshop in Kuala Lumpur.
On 18 June 2017, Immigration Department officers at Kuala Lumpur International Airport prevented Ms. Han from clearing immigration and detained her for several hours. During the detention, plainclothes officers informed Ms. Han that she was blacklisted from entering Malaysia.
When a lawyer provided by SUARAM asked the immigration officers to provide the legal basis on which they relied to ban Ms. Han from entering Malaysia, the officers said the ban was issued under Article 8(3)K of the 1959/63 Immigration Act. The provision states that immigration authorities are authorized to bar any person who is deemed by the Home Affairs Minister to be "an undesirable immigrant" from entering the country.
Ms. Han had been invited to attend the Regional Youth Exchange Program organized by SUARAM from 19 to 23 June in Kuala Lumpur.
At 7:40pm, Ms. Han agreed to be deported back to Singapore. She boarded a flight back to the city-state at 9:45pm. During her five most recent visits to Malaysia, from April 2015 to the latest on 12 May 2017, Ms. Han did not encounter any problems entering the country.
In Singapore, Ms. Han has actively campaigned to promote government transparency and accountability, and for the respect of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly. On 22 February 2017, Ms. Han was imprisoned for several hours in the Singapore State Courts lock-up on charges of causing a public nuisance under Article 290 of the Singaporean Criminal Code over a peaceful demonstration she had organized in September 2014 in September 2014.
