Min Aung Hlaing to Visit Malaysia in October — SkimNews
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- Min Aung Hlaing will visit Malaysia in October, with Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil telling Bernama he will be among several foreign leaders expected in Kuala Lumpur.
- Malaysia deported nearly 1,500 Myanmar nationals on Tuesday aboard three ships sent by Myanmar's government, despite concerns from the United Nations and rights groups about the safety of those returned to the war-torn country.
- Malaysia plans a second repatriation phase that would send back another 3,524 people to Myanmar, Fahmi was quoted as saying.
- Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim rejected accusations that Malaysia was pushing refugees back without concern for safety, telling Bernama: "It's not true to say, just push them back ... We, of course, negotiate."
- Min Aung Hlaing, the retired general who led the 2021 coup, was elected president after an April election dominated by an army-backed party.
- Malaysia has framed Myanmar refugees — who make up the majority of asylum-seekers in the country — as a "huge financial burden" and source of "security threats."
Why it matters: Malaysia's Tuesday deportation of roughly 1,500 people and a planned second phase of 3,524 more will return about 5,000 Myanmar nationals during the same period as Min Aung Hlaing's state visit, pairing a diplomatic red-carpet reception with mass deportation over UN safety warnings as Myanmar remains mired in civil war since the 2021 coup.
Ask SkimNews
