Four Thai individuals have recently formally charged under Malaysia’s anti-trafficking laws in connection with the discovery of mass graves in 2015.
These graves were believed to contain the remains of Rohingya Muslims and Bangladeshis who were held captive in camps located in a hilly jungle area near the border between Malaysia and Thailand.
According to Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution, the Malaysian government sought the extradition of these four individuals, along with six others, in 2017. The incident, known as the Wang Kelian tragedy, shocked the nation. Following cooperation with Thai authorities, the four men were apprehended and extradited to Malaysia to face charges.
In May 2015, Malaysian police announced the uncovering of abandoned jungle camps used by human traffickers in the Wang Kelian area. Subsequently, 139 bodies were exhumed from mass graves in that vicinity. Thai police had made a similar discovery earlier in the same month, unearthing 36 bodies from shallow graves on the Thai side of the border.
These findings exposed clandestine networks of jungle camps operated by human smugglers who held people captive and extorted ransoms from their families. The victims primarily belonged to Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya minority or were impoverished migrants from Bangladesh. They were part of a larger influx of individuals fleeing their home countries in search of better living conditions.
The four men were escorted by armed police to a lower court in Perlis on Friday, where they faced charges of human trafficking. If convicted, they could face imprisonment of up to 15 years, as reported by local media.
According to reports from Malaysia’s English-language dailies, the New Straits Times and the Star, four individuals ranging in age from 30 to 58 have been charged with trafficking two Myanmar nationals in the Wang Kelian area. The accused didn’t enter pleas and were denied bail. The case will be transferred to the high court for further proceedings.
Prior to this, Malaysia already charged five foreigners with trafficking-related offenses related to the Wang Kelian camps. In Thailand, 62 individuals, including nine Thai officials, were convicted of trafficking crimes in connection with the same incident.
A joint report published in 2019 by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia and Fortify Rights revealed gaps in the investigation and potential obstruction of justice. It stated that Malaysian authorities had prior knowledge of the existence of the camps, as raids had been conducted at one of the sites where trafficking victims were held in cages months earlier. However, the bodies were not exhumed until May, and the report highlighted the lack of explanation for the delay since the raids, that hindered forensic efforts to determine the cause of death.
A Royal Commission of Inquiry established by the Malaysian government later concluded that no Malaysian enforcement officials, public servants, or local citizens were involved in the trafficking syndicates.
However, it identified negligence on the part of border patrols and highlighted the failure of Malaysian enforcement agencies to follow standard operating procedures, which significantly impacted the progress of the investigation.
