Photo credit: DVB English
Malaysia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Mohamad Hasan confirmed Monday that Myanmar’s military regime has expressed willingness to repatriate 5,000 refugees currently in Malaysia by ship.
DVB reports that the minister emphasized that while Malaysia has identified the initial group, any transfer remains strictly contingent on comprehensive safety and security guarantees.
The proposal was raised during a recent meeting with Myanmar regime Foreign Minister Tin Maung Swe. It represents a shift from Naypyidaw’s previous reluctance to accept refugees from Malaysia.
“They stated their willingness to bring back these 5,000 refugees by ship. But the issue is the safety of these 5,000 people – will they be safe when we send them back? What will happen to them? That also needs to be considered,” said Mohamad Hasan.
While Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced on July 29 that Naypyidaw agreed to the repatriation framework, Malaysian authorities stress that no returns will proceed if individuals face persecution, arbitrary detention, or life-threatening conditions.
The Foreign Minister reaffirmed that any bilateral arrangements must operate within the regional framework of ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus (SPC). He noted that while refugee management involves domestic logistics, ASEAN views the wider Myanmar humanitarian crisis as a collective regional responsibility.
