Malaysia announces Myanmar government's readiness to repatriate 5,000 refugees, stresses necessity of ensuring their safety

Kuala Lumpur, Aug 10 (KUNA) -- Malaysia announced on Monday that the Myanmar government has expressed its readiness to repatriate approximately 5,000 Myanmar nationals currently residing in Malaysia, emphasizing that “the implementation of the process requires, first, screening and verification to ensure the safety of returnees so they are not exposed to danger or forced to leave their country again.”

Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan stated during a press conference following his participation in the 59th anniversary celebrations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that his Myanmar counterpart informed him during a recent meeting of his country’s willingness to transport the individuals in question by sea.

Hasan clarified that “the core issue is not the means of transporting refugees, but rather how to guarantee their security after their return,” reaffirming Malaysia’s commitment to the safety of these individuals and what might happen to them after being sent back to Myanmar.

In this context, he noted that “Malaysian authorities have already identified approximately 5,000 refugees as individuals who should be returned to their country of origin, without specifying a timeline for the process so far, while stressing the need to complete the required procedures as soon as possible and subject them to screening and verification by Myanmar authorities.”

He also pointed out that the file of refugees coming from Myanmar is not limited solely to the Rohingya minority, but also includes other ethnic groups among the refugee categories, including the Chin and Karen ethnicities.

The Malaysian Foreign Minister stated that “the crisis is linked to an internal problem in Myanmar, resulting in various groups of refugees,” and emphasized the necessity of addressing the issue jointly within the framework of ASEAN, given the spillover effects on other member states.

Regarding the repatriation of refugees, he stressed that the most important condition before implementation is the availability of security within Myanmar, warning that returning them in the absence of security guarantees could lead to their departure from the country again, thereby undermining the purpose of the process.

Hasan further stressed the need to continue the “Five-Point Consensus” plan as ASEAN’s primary mechanism for dealing with the crisis in Myanmar, noting that “any changes to this consensus must be subject to new discussion and approved by the leaders of the member states.”

It is worth noting that Myanmar’s current crisis is an extension of political and ethnic conflicts that began since its independence in 1948 and deepened with the military’s seizure of power in 1962, followed by decades of military rule and political unrest. The crisis escalated after the February 2021 coup and has persisted despite the general elections held in January 2026, amid ongoing fighting, displacement, and asylum-seeking within and outside the country.

ASEAN is a regional organization established in 1967 with the aim of promoting political, economic, security, and social cooperation among countries in Southeast Asia. It comprises 11 member states: Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Timor-Leste. (End)