Nearly 1,500 Myanmar nationals repatriated from Malaysia as UN warns of risks

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — A total of nearly 1,500 Myanmar nationals repatriated from Malaysia landed in the nation's largest metropolis on Sunday, despite the United Nations refugee agency and rights organizations raising concerns over the safety of their return. Myanmar has witnessed significant unrest since the military took control of the government from the elected administration of Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, 2021, leading to widespread protests and conflict in various parts of the country.

The individuals, comprising 86 women, were found guilty of unlawful presence and other immigration offenses in Malaysia, according to Myanmar state media reports. They were transported from Malaysia on two navy warships and a hospital ship last Tuesday. The returnees arrived in southern Yangon early Sunday, as reported by Nay Lin Tun, a regional government minister.

These repatriations are part of a larger plan to repatriate 5,000 Myanmar nationals in stages from Malaysia, where 10,388 others are currently detained in immigration detention centers, as stated by Malaysia’s Home Ministry. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and rights groups have criticized the repatriation process, highlighting that the security and humanitarian situations in certain regions of Myanmar remain unstable.

Consequently, returnees might encounter persecution and forced military conscription in a conflict zone, according to a statement made by Kelley E. Currie, the U.N. special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar. It remains uncertain if any of the returnees belong to the Muslim Rohingya minority, who face persecution and lack citizenship in Myanmar, a point acknowledged by Myanmar Foreign Ministry official Han Win Aung, who referred to the repatriation as involving "genuine citizens."

Malaysia is home to approximately 215,600 registered refugees and asylum seekers, including around 126,000 Rohingya, who form one of Southeast Asia's largest refugee populations. Despite hosting these individuals, Malaysia is not a signatory to the U.N. Refugee Convention and treats refugees as undocumented migrants. Myanmar's military-backed leader, Min Aung Hlaing, who assumed the presidency in April, is scheduled to visit Malaysia this month to discuss refugee and migrant issues.