A number of undocumented Acehnese were arrested this afternoon in Limau Manis, a squatter colony near the federal capital of Putrajaya, approximately 50 km south of Kuala Lumpur.

According to eye-witnesses, about 200 people were arrested when the police arrived at the village with six trucks around noon. Four individuals were reported to have jumped into a nearby river to escape the operations, and have yet to be found.

The detainees have been taken to the Putrajaya district police station for further investigation of their status. District police chief Mohd Khalil Kadir could not be reached for comment.

A large Acehnese community of some 2,000 persons reportedly live in Limau Manis and the surrounding semi-jungle area.

As Malaysia does not recognise the status of refugees, individuals who do not have valid travel documents are liable to a jail term, whipping and deportation upon conviction.

Firm stance

The recent arrests come on the heels of similar arrests of some 300 individuals last month, outside the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

A high-level UNHCR delegation to Malaysia last week failed to secure any commitments from the government not to deport Acehnese asylum-seekers to Indonesia.

The agency has expressed concerns that their safety may be jeopardised should they be returned to Indonesia, in view of an ongoing military offensive against separatist rebels in Aceh.

The Malaysia government has said it does not recognise the status of refugees since it is not signatory to the UN refugee convention.

It has also dismissed counter-claims that it is obliged to provide protection for refugees under what has become customary international law.

Authorities claim that providing temporary protection or recognition to Acehnese would only encourage more people to enter the country illegally, thus creating strains on society and the economy.

Malaysia has also come under pressure from Jakarta to show its clear stance in supporting Indonesia's territorial integrity.

According to Indonesian officials, this would have to involve repatriating all Acehnese asylum-seekers, in order to prove that Malaysia does not support armed the separatist elements from Aceh.