Human Rights Watch has called on Malaysian authorities to assure the safety of three men who were arrested and forcibly deported from the country and sent to Sri Lanka this week.

The three men, who are currently being detained by the government's Terrorist Investigation Division in Kilinochchi, are supposed to have been under the protection of the UN agency for refugees. They were arrested by Malaysian authorities for “terrorism”, before being deported to Sri Lanka.

Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch said,

“Sri Lanka’s treatment of these three men who have been forcibly returned by Malaysia is now in the international spotlight... Malaysia should now do all it can to stop further abuses for which it might be complicit.”

He went on to add,

“Malaysia’s forced return of these refugees to Sri Lanka is no free pass for torture and mistreatment... Governments can’t just pick and choose when to protect refugees. Malaysia seemed more interested in burnishing its ties with Sri Lanka than honoring its obligation to protect refugees from possible persecution and torture.”

Human Rights Watch also went on to note their report “We Will Teach You A Lesson” documented 75 cases of rape, sexual abuse and torture at secret detention camps run by Sri Lankan authorities, including of those the government suspected of having links to the LTTE.