KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia -- Malaysia has followed through on promises to deport illegal immigrants, sending more than 10,000 Filipino refugees back to their war-torn homeland. The move came as Philippine President Gloria Arroyo sought to reassure the U.S. that Manila will restart talks with Muslim separatists seeking to establish a homeland in the country's troubled south. The numbers were well short of expectations after authorities boasted more than 100,000 could be sent packing, but were enough to raise eyebrows among regional analysts who believe forcing impoverished civilians back into a zone shattered by civil war, Islamic militancy and terrorism will do little to resolve longstanding issues. State Secretary for Sabah Sukarti Sukiman said that 14,628 illegal immigrants have been forcibly repatriated to their country of origin since August, including 10,560 Filipinos. A further 3,846 Indonesians and 222 others were ordered out, with deportations carried out on a weekly basis.
Malaysia’s Deportation of Filipino Refugees Raises Concerns
