Anwar Tells Parliament About 10,000 Myanmar Nationals Have Been Sent Home Since January
KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told parliament on Tuesday, October 6, that around 10,000 Myanmar nationals have been sent back to their country since January, as part of efforts to repatriate refugees who fled a civil war. Some of those repatriated were flown home on planes arranged by the Myanmar government, while around 1,400 were returned by sea last week under a bilateral arrangement, he said.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since a 2021 military coup triggered a nationwide civil war, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to cross into neighbouring countries. Malaysia has taken in around 193,000 refugees from Myanmar, according to UN data. But Kuala Lumpur has grown increasingly frustrated by their presence, saying hosting them has become a financial burden and a security risk. Malaysia is not a party to the UN refugee convention and regards asylum-seekers as illegal migrants.
Anwar acknowledged concerns from rights groups and some lawmakers over the safety risks faced by those being repatriated, but said Myanmar authorities had given assurances they would not be harmed on return. 'The conditions that we placed on (Myanmar) is that they must bring home their citizens. Secondly, is that they treat their people fairly so that there are no abuses, coercion or rights violations,' he said. The United Nations and rights groups have repeatedly criticised returns to a country still at war.
Repatriation sits at the centre of this week's high-level engagement: Myanmar's military-backed leader Min Aung Hlaing is due in Malaysia this week for talks with Anwar, with repatriation arrangements and Myanmar's reintegration into ASEAN both on the agenda. For Myanmar communities living in Malaysia, and for the employers and civil groups watching the issue, the pace of returns — and how returnees are actually treated — will remain the focus in the weeks ahead.
(Source: Compiled from Reuters reporting on)
Source: Reuters
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 吉隆坡的马来西亚国会大厦，CEphoto, Uwe Aranas 摄，CC BY-SA 3.0（Wikimedia Commons）
