Malaysia has called on Thailand to go through existing security channels to seek the repatriation of alleged militants among the 131 Thai Moslems currently being held as refugees in Malaysia, reports said Thursday, according to DPA. However, the Malaysian government would still hold the right to decide whether or not to repatriate them based on a guarantee of the refugees' safety, said Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar. "When other nationals flee from their country and do not want to go back, we have a responsibility under international law to consider, if we wish to send them back, what assurances relating to the legal process and human rights that have to be accorded to them," Syed Hamid was quoted as saying by the official Bernama agency. "If there is anything militant or whatever, they (Thailand) could contact us via the existing channels. The relationship between our police and theirs is very good," said Syed Hamid.
