Malaysia’s Anwar to host Myanmar leader as repatriations near 10,000

What the report says

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing is expected to visit Kuala Lumpur in the next few days, as Malaysia continues repatriating Myanmar nationals. In remarks to parliament on Tuesday, Anwar said about 10,000 people had been sent back to Myanmar since January, including some flown on aircraft arranged by Myanmar authorities and nearly 1,500 returned by sea last week under a bilateral arrangement.

The repatriations have drawn concern from human rights groups, UN refugee agencies and lawmakers, particularly over the safety of Rohingya Muslims and other refugees who may face persecution, forced conscription or violence after returning to Myanmar. Anwar said Malaysia has received assurances from Myanmar that returnees would not be harmed and that he would keep pressing for fair treatment and an end to abuses.

According to Al Jazeera’s report, the returns come amid intensified immigration raids in Malaysia that have led to large numbers of refugee detentions this year. Malaysia is not a party to the UN Refugee Convention and treats refugees as undocumented migrants, but it hosts a substantial population of Myanmar refugees and asylum seekers registered with UNHCR.

The planned visit by Min Aung Hlaing also highlights the broader diplomatic effort by Myanmar’s military leader to win legitimacy after the 2021 coup and amid the civil war that followed. Al Jazeera noted that UNHCR has said its staff were not allowed to independently verify whether those returning did so freely and with full information.