Anwar backs Myanmar’s regional return at talks with Min Aung Hlaing
Anwar Ibrahim pledged to help Myanmar rejoin regional engagement after receiving Min Aung Hlaing in Malaysia. Their October 8 talks also covered the return of Myanmar nationals, with the leaders promising voluntary and safe repatriation. The opening comes while ASEAN excludes Myanmar from high-level political meetings and rights groups challenge the safety of returns.
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Anwar offers a route back to regional engagement
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim received Myanmar’s military-backed President Min Aung Hlaing on October 8 and held a joint briefing after their talks. The two-day visit is Min Aung Hlaing’s first to Malaysia since he became president in April. Anwar promised to strengthen cooperation and help Myanmar return to the regional community, particularly through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, known as ASEAN.[1]
Returns of Myanmar nationals were also part of the meeting. Anwar said Myanmar had already accepted 10,493 people sent back from Malaysia. Min Aung Hlaing said his country would accept more migrants held there as soon as possible. The leaders described the intended returns as voluntary, safe and dignified, a commitment that covers people across ethnic groups.[1], [2]
Myanmar will pay for the repatriations
Anwar announced that Myanmar would facilitate and fully fund the repatriation operations. The people already returned travelled by aircraft and naval vessels. Malaysia’s Ministry of Home Affairs and its Myanmar counterpart are continuing discussions on the next phases. Anwar said a further 3,000 to 4,000 Myanmar nationals held in Malaysian immigration detention centres would be included.[2]
The Malaysian prime minister said the remaining returns would follow rules and procedures, including background checks and nationality verification. Criminal-record checks would form part of that screening. Trade, energy, security and economic cooperation were also discussed during the leaders’ talks. The repatriation arrangements accompany Anwar’s wider pledge of cooperation, while Myanmar’s exclusion from senior ASEAN meetings remains in place.[1], [2]
ASEAN exclusion and rights objections continue
ASEAN has kept Myanmar out of high-level political meetings since 2021 because the country has made insufficient progress on the bloc’s peace plan. The civil war that followed Min Aung Hlaing’s coup that year continues. His election as president in April followed a vote widely regarded as illegitimate, making the visit part of his effort to rebuild international engagement.[1]
Human Rights Watch, a human rights organisation, urged Anwar on October 7 to press Myanmar’s leader to end abuses and halt plans it described as forced returns. Rights groups also accuse Anwar of legitimising the Myanmar presidency. Whether Rohingya people were among those returned remains uncertain. This Muslim minority faces persecution and denial of citizenship in Myanmar, making the promise of safety a contested part of the agreement.[1]
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