Nearly 1,500 Myanmar nationals repatriated from Malaysia arrived in the country’s largest city, Yangon, on Sunday, despite warnings from the United Nations refugee agency and rights groups that conditions for their return remain unsafe.The returnees, including 86 women, had been convicted of illegal stay and other immigration violations in Malaysia, according to Myanmar state media reports.They were transported from Malaysia aboard two navy warships and a hospital ship last Tuesday and arrived in southern Yangon early Sunday, regional government minister Nay Lin Tun said.The group is part of around 5,000 Myanmar nationals who are expected to be repatriated from Malaysia in stages. Malaysia’s home ministry said another 10,388 Myanmar nationals were being held at immigration detention centres.UN, rights groups raise concernsThe repatriation has drawn criticism from the UN high commissioner for refugees and rights groups, who have warned that Myanmar’s security and humanitarian situation remains volatile.They have raised concerns that some returnees could face persecution or forced military conscription in areas affected by the ongoing conflict, the Associated Press reported.“Under international law, the Government of Malaysia is obligated to uphold the principle of non-refoulement and prevent the return of individuals to situations where they face a real risk of persecution, torture, or other serious human rights violations,” Kelley E. Currie, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, said in a statement on Thursday. “In my assessment, the risk of refoulement in the present circumstances is substantial.”It was not immediately clear whether any Rohingya were among those repatriated. The minority Muslim community has faced persecution in Myanmar and has been denied citizenship.Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, 2021. The coup triggered widespread protests and armed resistance, plunging large parts of the country into conflict.Malaysia is home to around 215,600 refugees and asylum seekers registered with the UNHCR, including about 126,000 Rohingya, making it one of Southeast Asia’s largest refugee-hosting communities.However, Malaysia is not a party to the UN Refugee Convention and treats refugees as undocumented migrants.
