Malaysia’s Myanmar bet? Repatriations pave way for diplomacy
Por Maria Siow — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement Malaysia This Week in Asia People Malaysia’s Myanmar bet? Repatriations pave way for diplomacy
Malaysia’s move ahead of Min Aung Hlaing’s visit has raised concerns that Asean’s efforts to resolve the Myanmar civil war would be futile
4 -MIN READ 4 -MIN Listen
Maria Siow Published: 9:30am, 7 Oct 2026 Updated: 9:45am, 7 Oct 2026 Malaysia ’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 1,500 Myanmar nationals repatriated from Malaysia arrived in southern Yangon on Sunday, regional government minister Nay Lin Tun said.
Under the repatriation scheme – which has drawn criticism from human rights groups and the United Nations refugee agency – 1,479 returnees were transported from Malaysia aboard two navy warships and a hospital ship.
Select Voice Select Speed 0.8x 0.9x 1.0x 1.1x 1.2x 1.5x 1.75x 00:00 00:00 1x AI-generated voice
