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Myanmar has pledged to ensure the “safe and dignified” return of citizens displaced abroad, following concerns from the United Nations and rights groups over Malaysia’s planned repatriation of about 1,500 people.
The Myanmar Foreign Ministry also reaffirmed its rejection of the Rohingya identity, raising concerns among rights campaigners that members of the persecuted Muslim minority could be returned to conditions where they face renewed persecution.
Malaysia said in July that Myanmar had agreed to accept 5,000 Rohingya, who have faced years of discrimination and violence in the country, particularly following a military crackdown in 2017.
Both countries have said the first group of nearly 1,500 Myanmar nationals will be voluntarily repatriated in late September. However, it remains unclear how many Rohingya will be included in the initial group.
Myanmar’s Foreign Ministry said it would work with Bangladesh and other friendly countries to facilitate the voluntary return of verified displaced people in a safe and dignified manner.
“Myanmar is committed to working closely with Bangladesh and friendly countries to facilitate the voluntary return of verified displaced persons in a safe and dignified manner,” the foreign ministry statement said.
Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled Myanmar following the military crackdown in 2017, which is at the centre of a genocide case against the country at the International Court of Justice.
More than 1.2 million Rohingya now live in Bangladesh, which hosts the world’s largest refugee settlement. Despite several attempts to arrange their return, significant progress has yet to be made.
Malaysia is also home to about 126,000 Rohingya, alongside other displaced Myanmar nationals from different ethnic groups.
Myanmar has long rejected the Rohingya as a distinct ethnic group, claiming they are descendants of migrants from Bangladesh and refusing to officially recognise the term “Rohingya”.
The Foreign Ministry repeated that position on Thursday, saying the term falsely portrays an ethnic identity that, according to the government, has never existed in Myanmar. It also criticised recent commemorations of Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day in some countries.
Malaysia’s Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has said the country would not return Myanmar nationals if they faced persecution or threats to their lives.
However, rights groups remain concerned that returning Rohingya to Myanmar, where their identity is not officially recognised, could expose them to further abuses.
A report by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres published on Wednesday found that conditions for the Rohingya to return voluntarily, safely, with dignity and sustainably do not currently exist.
Concerns have also been raised over the fact that many Myanmar migrants in Malaysia are being held in detention centres, prompting questions about whether their decisions to return can be considered genuinely voluntary.
