Malaysia has said it will not proceed with the repatriation of 5,000 Rohingya refugees to Myanmar if their lives would be at risk upon return. Rights groups say Rohingya refugees in Malaysia have faced growing online hate campaigns and disinformation, fuelling xenophobia and intimidation. Advertisement“Malaysia, as a responsible country, will not return the 5,000 Myanmar refugees if they would either be persecuted or their lives would be threatened,” he told a news briefing. Human Rights Watch urged Malaysia to reverse course, warning that Rohingya refugees remain at risk of persecution and other serious rights abuses in Myanmar. Malaysia’s main Rohingya rights group also urged the government to halt the plan, saying refugees’ lives would be at risk if they were returned.