Malaysia Offers Min Aung Hlaing visit invitation on condition of Rohingya repatriation
Photo: Reuters.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will invite Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing to visit Malaysia if Myanmar agrees to take back Rohingya refugees. He made the announcement on Wednesday.
Anwar said Malaysia was prepared to hold direct talks with Min Aung Hlaing if Myanmar agreed to repatriate thousands of Rohingya refugees. Although Malaysia has yet to recognise Myanmar’s new government in line with ASEAN’s position, Anwar wants to pursue this initiative to find a way forward for Rohingya repatriation.
Retired General Min Aung Hlaing, who seized power through a coup in 2021, has been seeking international recognition since becoming president in April. He assumed the presidency following an election dominated by a military-backed party and held in the absence of an effective opposition.
Anwar said Malaysia, like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), was not prepared to recognise Myanmar’s new government. However, he said there needed to be an authority in Myanmar with whom discussions could be held on the repatriation of refugees.
Speaking on a podcast, Anwar said, “We do not want direct relations with Myanmar, following ASEAN’s position. Then who are we going to negotiate with?”
He said, “I invited him to convey the message that we can be friends, we can trade, and we can accept Myanmar. However, Myanmar must take them [the refugees] back.”
ASEAN has not recognised Myanmar’s election. Since 2021, Myanmar’s leaders have also been barred from attending ASEAN summits. Meanwhile, an estimated 100,000 people have been killed in the country’s civil war. The military has faced widespread allegations of atrocities against civilians, which it has denied.
Malaysia has been one of the most vocal critics of Myanmar’s former junta. It has also expressed frustration over the military’s repeated refusal to end its campaign of violence.
Malaysia will become the fifth of ASEAN’s 11 member states to host Min Aung Hlaing. He recently visited Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. He has also visited China, India, and Russia.
