Myanmar nationals to be repatriated from Malaysia sit inside a bus, at Lumut, Malaysia, September 29, 2026.
(Bangkok) – Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim should press Myanmar’s junta leader, Min Aung Hlaing, to end human rights abuses during his visit to Kuala Lumpur on October 7, 2026, Human Rights Watch said today.
The Malaysian government should also halt plans to forcibly return ethnic Rohingya and other people from Myanmar, where they face persecution and other rights violations. Malaysian authorities deported about 1,500 Myanmar nationals on September 29 in coordination with junta authorities, the first batch in a series of phased returns.
“Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s invitation to Min Aung Hlaing to coordinate the forced return of people who fled military atrocities in Myanmar is an invitation for further abuse,” said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The Malaysian government, which has provided protection to Rohingya and other refugees from Myanmar for decades, should halt any more returns and urge the junta leader to stop the abuses that have caused millions to leave the country.”
On September 16, Prime Minister Anwar announced that he was inviting Min Aung Hlaing, who led the February 2021 military coup, to discuss the return of Myanmar nationals from Malaysia. This is Min Aung Hlaing’s sixth bilateral visit to an Asian country since he installed himself as president in April following sham elections and after stepping down as commander-in-chief of the Myanmar military. Min Aung Hlaing has been implicated in many abuses, and the International Criminal Court prosecutor has requested an arrest warrant for his alleged crimes against humanity.
On September 29, Malaysian authorities sent back 1,476 Myanmar nationals—1,370 men, 79 women, 20 boys, and 7 girls, ages 8 to 60—according to Malaysia’s state news agency
