Malaysia to hand over 1,200 Myanmar detainees to country's navy

 

Malaysia will deport 1,200 detained Myanmar nationals after the Myanmar military government, which took over in a Feb 1 coup, offered to send three navy ships to pick them up, officials from both countries and two sources told Reuters.

Myanmar, via its embassy in Kuala Lumpur (above), made the offer to take back its citizens held in Malaysian immigration detention centres last week, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

The detention centres typically hold asylum-seekers and refugees, along with others who are in Malaysia without proper documents. Malaysia does not formally recognise refugees, regarding them as undocumented migrants.

The officials did not respond to queries as to whether those being repatriated included refugees.

Detainees have in the past included members of the Chin, Kachin and the Muslim Rohingya communities fleeing ethnic conflict and persecution by the military in Myanmar.

Malaysia is home to more than 154,000 asylum-seekers from Myanmar, according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR. There are also thousands of migrant workers.

The sources said Myanmar had offered to take back only its citizens. Myanmar recognises over 100 ethnic groups but not the Rohingya, who are seen as illegal migrants from Bangladesh.

The sources, who requested anonymity, said the navy ships were expected to arrive in Malaysia on Feb. 21 and leave two days later.

Immigration director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud confirmed the details, adding that authorities had agreed to hand over the detainees to Myanmar’s navy.

“Yes, we have agreed. All of them are from immigration depots,” he said in a text message, without elaborating.

Win Min Soe, a labour attaché at the Myanmar embassy, also confirmed Myanmar’s offer.

Spokespersons for the Prime Minister’s Office and Foreign Ministry did not respond to requests for comment. - Reuters