This handout photo taken and released by Myanmar's Presidential Press Information Bureau on October 8, 2026 shows Myanmar's President Min Aung Hlaing (L) shaking hands with Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (R) during a meeting in Putrajaya. (AFP Photo / Myanmar's Presidential Press Information Bureau)
Myanmar’s leader Min Aung Hlaing said on Oct. 8 that migrants from his war-torn country held in Malaysian detention centers will be returned home “as soon as possible.”
Min Aung Hlaing has been a pariah in many capitals abroad since his putsch unleashed a civil war, but Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim invited him for talks about returning Myanmar migrants.
“We will take those verified nationals back as soon as possible,” Min Aung Hlaing said at a joint news conference with Anwar in the administrative capital of Putrajaya.
Myanmar’s leader landed on Oct. 7 for his first visit to Malaysia since taking power in a 2021 coup, as Kuala Lumpur seeks his cooperation to return thousands of migrants.
The opaque repatriation scheme has been criticized by rights monitors, some fearing ethnic Rohingya may be sent back to a country where they have experienced persecution many deem genocide.
The two-day trip comes as Min Aung Hlaing makes a push for diplomatic recognition after being installed in April as civilian president, following elections branded a charade by democracy watchdogs.
Malaysia’s Anwar reiterated his thanks to Myanmar on Oct. 8 for taking back migrants and “for your candid manner and willingness to collaborate.”
