Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that his government is committed to facilitating Myanmar’s return to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), following bilateral talks with Myanmar’s military-backed President Min Aung Hlaing. The discussions took place during Min Aung Hlaing’s two-day visit to Malaysia, marking his first trip abroad since assuming the presidency in April.
The ongoing diplomatic engagement is part of a broader effort to reintegrate Myanmar into the international community after the 2021 coup ignited a civil war. However, Myanmar has been barred from attending high-level ASEAN political meetings since 2021 due to the bloc’s concerns over the failure to implement a proposed peace plan.
“I would say that we and our part in Malaysia, will do whatever is possible to make sure that we enhance this collaboration and ultimately, take Myanmar as part of our community of nations, without prejudice, and particularly in the context of ASEAN,” Anwar stated during a media briefing on Thursday.
Beyond regional politics, the leaders addressed the issue of migrant repatriation. Anwar confirmed that approximately 10,493 Myanmar nationals have agreed to return to their home country. The Malaysian prime minister emphasized that these returns would be conducted on a “voluntary, safe and dignified basis.” Min Aung Hlaing pledged that Myanmar would accept additional migrants held in Malaysia “as soon as possible.” It remains unclear whether any of the returnees belong to the Rohingya Muslim minority, a group facing severe persecution and denied citizenship in Myanmar.
The two heads of state also discussed expanding cooperation in trade, energy, security, and economic sectors. Despite these advances, Anwar’s administration has faced mounting scrutiny from human rights organizations. Critics argue that repatriating migrants to Myanmar legitimizes Min Aung Hlaing’s leadership, which was established through a process widely regarded as illegitimate, and overlooks the over 100,000 deaths recorded since the 2021 takeover.
On Wednesday, Human Rights Watch urged Anwar to press Min Aung Hlaing to stop human rights abuses and halt what the organization described as plans to forcibly return refugees to danger.
I wonder if the Rohingya are among those returning. That would be a catastrophic failure of protection duties by Malaysia.
Finally, some pragmatism from KL. Keeping Myanmar isolated hasn’t worked for five years. Engagement is the only path forward.
Does anyone actually believe the repatriations are voluntary? The numbers are suspiciously high given the danger back home.
Reintegrating a regime responsible for such violence is deeply problematic. Diplomacy shouldn’t mean ignoring human rights abuses.