A group of approximately 1,476 migrants, part of a total of 5,000 Burmese accepted in a repatriation process considered voluntary, arrived in Myanmar. This movement occurs at a time when Malaysia perceives an increase in hostility directed towards the exiles, according to reports from Kuala Lumpur.
Upon disembarking from a boat at a Burmese naval base located in Thanlyin, several people were taken to a Buddhist monastery. There, health examinations and administrative procedures were carried out, observed by journalists from Agence France Press.
Kyaw Swar Thein, a 53-year-old man who worked in a cafe in Malaysia before being detained, expressed his concern, stating: 'I have not seen my family yet.' He also mentioned that he contracted scabies during his detention period, which lasted one year and eight months, and that this condition influenced his decision to return.
While sitting on the floor among the men, he confessed: 'I expect nothing.' Human rights organizations emphasized that the poor detention conditions imposed on Burmese in Malaysia were the factor that led them to agree to the return program.
These same associations warn about the inherent risks of returning to the country, which has been ravaged by civil war since the military coup in 2021. According to the NGO Acled, this conflict has already resulted in more than 100,000 deaths.