Malaysian experts appreciate Thailand's repatriation of illegal Chinese immigrants

Malaysian experts have expressed their appreciation for Thailand's repatriation of 109 illegal Chinese immigrants last week, saying that the move will help curb international terrorism.

Oh Ei Sun, senior research fellow with Nanyang Technological University of Singapore and former political secretary to the Malaysian prime minister, told Xinhua that many countries including the United States, China, Thailand and Malaysia are victims of terrorism.

"In the face of our common enemy, terrorism, all countries should abandon their narrow-minded notion of competition and fully cooperate with each other," he said.

He said that as illegal immigration may involve terrorism, the United States and Turkey should stop pointing fingers at Thailand and China over the repatriation issue, and instead cooperate with other countries in cracking down on illegal immigration.

Oh said that as the two most important players in the international arena, China and the United States should make anti-terrorism an integral part of their mutual trust mechanism. If the two countries cannot cooperate with each other closely on fighting against illegal immigration in Southeast Asia, terrorism may wreak havoc on the region, and Southeast Asians will have to suffer the consequences.

Eng King Sia, a Malaysian news commentator, said that the United States has spared no efforts in fighting against terrorism, on which, however, it applies double or multiple standards. Although the illegal immigration between China and Thailand poses no threat to its national security, the United States takes it as an opportunity to put pressure on China in a bid to fulfil its own political purpose. Enditem