Both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD) provide for the rights to seek asylum. The act of turning away boats full of asylum-seekers and refugees in dire conditions clearly contravenes not only both the declarations but also international laws. The act of turning away boats with hundreds of people in dire conditions is not only irresponsible but also cruel and inhumane.

Many of them on the boats are Rohingyas, one of the world's most persecuted minorities. They are fleeing from persecution.

Refugees commit no crime. The only ‘wrongs’ that they have committed were probably that they were being born in the wrong country, wrong ethnicity or having and believing the ‘wrong’ religion.

In this 21st century, when we are talking and shouting about our rights and freedom, these refugees are denied the most basic and fundamental rights - the right to life, liberty and to live with dignity.

Human rights are for all human beings. Human rights should be something that all human beings are being entitled, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, religion, sex and status. And even if there is no such thing as ‘human rights’ for all human beings, there should be at least humanity, empathy and love.

Refugees are human beings. They are just like each and every one of us. They are not criminals. They are not terrorists. They are not here to harm us. They are here to survive.

I hope and pray that sanity and humanity will prevail.

Save the them now! Save humanity!