Min Aung Hlaing declared that the citizens whose identities were confirmed would be brought back 'as soon as possible'. This statement was made during a joint press conference with the Malaysian Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, held in Putrajaya, the administrative capital of Malaysia.
The Burmese leader began a two-day visit to Malaysia on Wednesday. This is the first time he has traveled to the country since taking power after the 2021 coup d'état. The visit comes at a time when Kuala Lumpur is requesting cooperation for the contested return of thousands of Burmese migrants.
Min Aung Hlaing left his post as head of the armed forces in April to become President, following elections denounced abroad as a tactic to extend the military regime under a civilian facade. Since then, he has worked to restore Myanmar's diplomatic relations, which became quite isolated after the coup and the subsequent violent civil conflict.
The focus of the talks is the repatriation of five thousand Burmese citizens, a number announced by Anwar Ibrahim in July. An initial group, consisting of approximately 1,500 people, was already returned to Myanmar on Sunday.
Malaysian authorities did not detail how many Rohingya were among the individuals who returned to the country. However, this announcement raised concerns regarding this persecuted Muslim minority, which represents the majority of Burmese refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia, according to the UN.
Anwar Ibrahim reiterated his thanks to Myanmar for hosting the migrants and for its willingness and transparency in cooperating.