During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rohingya refugees in Malaysia faced a surge of hostility. Online campaigns portrayed them as disease carriers, social burdens, and even threats to national security. This backlash didn’t just stop at refugees themselves—it expanded to target the organisations, institutions, and humanitarian norms that supported them.

Guest:

Ruji Auethavornpipat (Politics and International Relations, La Trobe University)

Auethavornpipat R. Radical contestation: Emotional backlash and the dismantling of refugee protection. Review of International Studies. Published online 2025:1-22. https://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0260210525101022

Recorded 27th August, 2025.