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PoliticsOct 8Myanmar’s leader to take back migrants from MalaysiaPUTRAJAYA, Malaysia — Myanmar will accept more Burmese migrants held in Malaysia “as soon as possible,” the war-torn nation’s leader said on Thursday despite human rights concerns over the opaque repatriation scheme. Min Aung Hlaing made the pledge on a visit to his counterpart in Malaysia as he works to bring his country back into the international fold after staging a coup in February 2021. Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim invited Min Aung Hlaing, now installed as civilian president, for a two-day visit to discuss the return of thousands of migrants to his country. Malaysia has historically offered safe haven to those exiled from Myanmar, hosting 190,000 refugees or asylum seekers from the nation — mostly Rohingya — according to the United Nations. But Anwar is making a repatriation push amid an uptick of anti-migrant sentiment in Malaysia, defying concerns from the UN that his scheme cannot guarantee their safe homecomings to Myanmar. The country has been wracked by war since Min Aung Hlaing’s putsch, and there are fears the persecuted Rohingya may return to a country where they suffer violent persecution many deem genocide. “We will take those verified nationals back as soon as possible,” Min Aung Hlaing said at a joint news conference with Anwar in the administrative capital Putrajaya. ‘Enhance collaboration’ Min Aung Hlaing has been a pariah in many capitals abroad since his coup unleashed a civil war, but Anwar invited him for talks about returning Myanmar migrants. Nearly 1,500 migrants arrived in back in Myanmar on Sunday after a five-day navy vessel voyage from Malaysia, where they were being held in detention centers before being shipped out. Anwar announced in July that Myanmar had agreed to take back 5,000 Rohingya members, but the Malaysian government later said those sent back would be of “various ethnicities,” not only Rohingya. Myanmar last month pledged “safe and dignified” returns for its citizens displaced abroad, after criticism from the UN and rights groups. Min Aung Hlaing’s two-day trip also comes as he makes a push for diplomatic recognition after his installation as civilian president in April, following elections branded a charade by democracy watchdogs. Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) said in July they were seeking “gradual” engagement with Myanmar. The 11-nation organization has frozen Myanmar out of high-level summits since the coup, presenting a united front to pressure its leaders into engaging in its conflict resolution plan. But analysts say the consensus is now fraying. Malaysia marks the fifth Southeast Asian nation to host Min Aung Hlaing since he transitioned to ruling the country as its nominally civilian president. A five-point peace plan adopted by Asean leaders in April 2021, which, among other things, call for an immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar, has shown very little signs of progress. This was highlighted by a Myanmar military air strike late last month on a market in the country’s west, killing some 50 people — one of the deadliest recent bombings of the civil war. “We, and [on] our part in Malaysia, will do whatever is possible to make sure that we enhance this collaboration,” Anwar said on Thursday. The aim ultimately was to “take Myanmar as part of our community of nations without prejudice, and particularly in the context of [the] Asean,” he added.manilatimes · philippines
PoliticsOct 8Malaysia PM says will work on Myanmar’s ASEAN reintegrationMyanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing in Malaysia for a two-day visit, his first since he became president in April.Al Jazeera [en]
PoliticsOct 8Myanmar’s Strongman President Is on a Global Quest for Legitimacy. Next Stop, Malaysia.After trading his military uniform for civilian clothes, Myanmar’s strongman president, U Min Aung Hlaing, is in Malaysia, his ninth stop on a search for international legitimacy.NYT World
PoliticsOct 7Malaysia’s Myanmar bet? Repatriations pave way for diplomacyMalaysia’s repatriation of Myanmar nationals ahead of a visit to Kuala Lumpur by the war-torn country’s leader appears to mirror efforts by other Asean countries seeking to mend ties with Naypyidaw. Several members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have stepped up engagement with Myanmar at the bilateral level recently, raising questions about whether a gradual normalisation between the bloc and the country could undermine efforts to end its civil war, according to analysts. Nearly...South China Morning Post
ConflictOct 5At Least 8 Dead in Myanmar Air Strikes, Rakhine Rebel Group ClaimsThe Diplomat
WorldOct 5Rohingya activist says it’s unfair to send refugees back to MyanmarRohingya activist says it’s unfair to send refugees back to MyanmarAl Jazeera [en]
ConflictOct 5Nearly 1,500 migrants arrive in Myanmar from Malaysia despite UN warningsAl Jazeera [en]
WorldOct 41,500 Myanmar migrants return to MalaysiaTHANLYIN, Myanmar — Nearly 1,500 Myanmar migrants from Malaysia arrived in their war-torn home country on Sunday, a Myanmar Navy official said, returned under an opaque repatriation scheme. Three ships carrying Myanmar migrants had all docked at the Myanmar Navy base in Thanlyin just before 7:30 am, said the naval official who Agence France-Presse (AFP) has kept anonymous as he was not authorized to speak to media. Kyaw Myint, 55, told AFP he was there to collect three grandchildren who had been in Malaysian detention for one and a half years, and who he has not seen in six years. “Since they arrived in prison we lost contact with them,” he said. Now Kyaw Myint is worried about them being conscripted — “not only by the military but also by ethnic armed groups,” he added. There are concerns members of the persecuted Rohingya are among the group, after Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced the returns against a backdrop of anti-Rohingya sentiment, but this has not been confirmed. Three Myanmar Navy ships left Malaysia on Tuesday carrying 1,476 migrants, according to the Myanmar government — the first of 5,000 that Anwar says Myanmar agreed to take back. The United Nations (UN) warns conditions in Myanmar, which has been consumed by civil war since a 2021 military coup, mean safe homecomings cannot be guaranteed as required under international law. “We have no idea how his life will be back in Myanmar,” said the 25-year-old sister of one migrant, who told his family he expected to be sent aboard the ships. “Our main concern is his arrival won’t be safe,” she told AFP from Malaysia, requesting anonymity for security reasons after losing contact with her brother before the vessels set sail. The arrivals were due to include 27 children and 79 women, Malaysian media said, the remaining 1,370 adult men. Free and informed Anwar announced the repatriations in July, just days after the detention of more than 100 Rohingya asylum seekers in Kuala Lumpur amid rising xenophobia against refugees, particularly the Rohingyas in Malaysia. News of the returns sparked widespread concern, as members of the ethnic group fled Myanmar en masse following a military crackdown starting in 2017, which rights experts say amounted to genocide. Malaysia insists all returnees agreed to voluntary repatriation from detention centers, where Myanmar says they had completed sentences for immigration offenses. ‘No time to return’ Malaysia is already moving ahead with plans to return a second group of more than 3,500 migrants. Migrants have “imposed a significant financial burden on the nation, triggered serious social crises, and created tangible security threats for the Malaysian people,” the home ministry has said. Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing, the coup leader who was installed as civilian president this April, is expected to soon visit Malaysia to discuss the scheme. Yap Lay Sheng, a senior human rights specialist with Fortify Rights, told AFP: “There’s no telling how the regime would treat returnees.” “This is no time to return anyone forcibly to a country plagued by egregious human rights violations and abuses,” UN rights chief Volker Turk said Tuesday.manilatimes · philippines
MilitarySep 30India-Myanmar defence dialogue to be held in Northeast amid border security concernsThe third edition of the meeting will be held in Guwahati, underlining the growing focus on security challenges in the NortheastThe Hindu
ConflictSep 29Assam Rifles jawan killed in ambush near Myanmar borderAn Assam Rifles jawan was killed in an ambush that occurred near the Myanmar border. This event highlights ongoing security challenges in the border region.economictimes.indiatimes.com · India
WorldSep 29Malaysia sends unknown number of Rohingya back to Myanmar: 'Unacceptable'Maleisië is begonnen met het terugsturen van Myanmarese asielzoekers naar hun thuisland. Onder de eerste 1500 van de in totaal 5000 Myanmarezen die teruggestuurd worden, zit ook een onbekend aantal Rohingya. Dit tot grote verontwaardiging van mensenrechtenactivisten. "Het is schandalig en onacceptabel om Rohingya terug te sturen naar het land dat tien jaar geleden een genocide op ze pleegde", zegt Phil Robertson van Asia Human Rights Labour Advocates. Maleisië is een van de belangrijkste toevluchtsoorden voor de Myanmarese moslimbevolking. Volgens cijfers van de UNHCR vangt Maleisië officieel NOS Buitenland
ConflictBreakingSep 29Bodies ‘Like Pieces of Charcoal’: Dozens Killed in Myanmar Military BombingNYT World
ConflictBreakingSep 29At Least 49 Killed as Myanmar Military Carries Out Airstrikekashmirlife.net · India
ConflictBreakingSep 29Myanmar airstrike death toll rises to 50 : aid workersjusticeinfo.net · Syria
PoliticsSep 29How a beer brewed by Myanmar's junta won a haul of medals at a French ceremonyDagon beer, owned by a conglomerate controlled by Myanmar's military, received 'quality awards' in June at events held in the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, hosted for the occasion by a Belgian company.Le Monde [en]
ConflictBreakingSep 28Myanmar army air strike kills dozens in Rakhine stateAl Jazeera [en]
ConflictBreakingSep 28Dozens killed in air attack on market MyanmarNOS Buitenland
ConflictSep 25Myanmar Junta Airstrike Hits NUG Special Military Command Office in KNU Territorybnionline_net · myanmar
ConflictBreakingSep 25Alleged Myanmar-based extremists kill four Nagas in ManipurThe Hindu
PoliticsSep 25Drawing The Line : India And Myanmar Unfinished Border - AnalysisThis article analyzes the unresolved border situation between India and Myanmar. It is important for understanding geopolitical dynamics and potential regional tensions.eurasiareview.com · United States
ConflictSep 20Myanmar Military Kills Baptist Pastor Amid Growing Christian Persecutionworthynews.com · Israel
ConflictSep 20 Modern day slavery : Myanmar military swells ranks through corruption and deceit – Radio Free AsiaA report from Radio Free Asia describes the Myanmar military as expanding its ranks through corruption and deceit. This suggests human rights abuses and internal conflict within the country.rfa.org · China
PoliticsSep 17US secures release of detained citizen Adam Castillo in MyanmarBusinessman Adam Castillo had been detained by authorities for three months on breach of trust allegations.Al Jazeera [en]
PoliticsSep 14Four Myanmar nationals detained in Bihar over lack of valid documentsUpon the arrival of the train, a Railway Protection Force (RPF) team, questioned the four persons and detained them as they could not produce valid passports, citizenship certificates or other legal identity documents, RPF inspector Vikram Kumar said.The Hindu
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