Dbarta24 Desk — Ignoring sharp warnings from the United Nations and global human rights organizations, Malaysia has dispatched nearly 1,500 Myanmar nationals back to their war-torn homeland aboard three Myanmar Navy vessels.
The deportees are scheduled to arrive at the commercial capital of Yangon within days, marking the first phase of a broader plan to repatriate up to 5,000 individuals.
According to state-run outlet The Global New Light of Myanmar, three naval ships escorted 1,476 Myanmar citizens into national waters on Thursday after they served terms in Malaysian immigration detention centers for immigration violations and illegal residence.
While Malaysian authorities maintain that the repatriation process is entirely voluntary, the United Nations has repeatedly cautioned that present conditions in conflict-ridden Myanmar remain unsafe for refugee returns.
Kelly E. Currie, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, expressed deep concern over the operation, urging Malaysia to halt the deportations immediately and work collaboratively with the UN to resolve refugee issues.
The maritime transfer is part of broader diplomatic discussions between the two nations regarding refugee management and conflict-driven displacement.
Malaysian state media reported that Myanmar junta chief and President Min Aung Hlaing is scheduled to visit Malaysia later this month to discuss these ongoing challenges.
State media further highlighted that naval personnel provided medical care, food, and clothing during the voyage. Authorities promised that family members and local officials would receive the returnees at Yangon Port, facilitate transport to their home towns, and offer rehabilitation assistance.
However, it remains unclear whether any members of the persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority are included in this initial batch.
In recent years, Malaysia has intensified immigration enforcement amid rising local hostility toward refugees, particularly the Rohingya who fled military-led atrocities in 2017—an offensive currently subject to genocide investigations at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).