Malaysia begins repatriation of Myanmar nationals

Malaysia has begun the process of sending back Myanmar nationals, including Rohingyas, who are asylum seekers. The country began the process of sending back 1,476 people in the first phase on Tuesday, September 29. The process began as part of a programme to send back 5,000 Myanmar nationals in phases.

Two Myanmar naval warships and a hospital ship have been kept at the Lumut naval base in Malaysia's Perak state. The people in the first phase are scheduled to be sent to Myanmar on these ships. Malaysia's Ministry of Home Affairs said the entire process is being carried out under a voluntary repatriation programme based on an understanding between the two countries.

However, it is not clear how many of the 1,476 people sent back in the first phase are Rohingyas. The Malaysian authorities did not disclose the number. According to the country's government, although a large portion of Myanmar refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia are Rohingyas, no detailed information has been disclosed about who is on this repatriation list.

The Malaysian government claims those being sent back are voluntarily returning to Myanmar. In August, the country's Ministry of Home Affairs said the Myanmar government had identified the 1,476 people in the first phase and their repatriation would be carried out through coordination between the two countries.

However, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) and human rights organisations have expressed concern over the initiative. They fear those sent back could face security risks amid the ongoing conflict and instability in Myanmar. UNHCR said it was not involved in this repatriation process.

Human rights activists fear Rohingyas returning to Myanmar could face the risk of torture, persecution or forced recruitment. After the 2021 military coup, conflict between the army and various armed groups has continued in the country. Rakhine State is also one of the areas of this conflict.

Rohingyas are a Muslim ethnic minority population in Myanmar's Rakhine State. After the 2017 military operation in Myanmar, more than 700,000 Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh. Subsequently, a large number of Rohingyas also took shelter in various Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysia.

Malaysia is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol, and refugees do not have formal legal status in the country. A large number of Myanmar refugees and asylum seekers live in the country, a large portion of whom are Rohingyas.

Earlier, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said an initiative was being taken to advance the repatriation process through discussions with Myanmar. He also spoke of plans to invite Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing to visit Malaysia.

Meanwhile, more than 160 citizens' and human rights organisations have called on Malaysia to stop sending Rohingyas back to Myanmar. They fear repatriation amid the ongoing conflict and human rights situation could create security risks for the Rohingyas.

Malaysia's programme involves sending back a total of 5,000 Myanmar nationals in phases. The process of sending back 1,476 people in the first phase began on Tuesday.