About 1,500 Myanmar nationals repatriated to Yangon from Malaysia

Nearly 1,500 Myanmar nationals who were sent back from Malaysia arrived in their country's largest city on Sunday, despite warnings from the United Nations refugee agency and rights groups that conditions for return remain unsafe.

The returnees are among 5,000 Myanmar nationals who will be repatriated in stages from Malaysia, where 10,388 others were being held at immigration detention centres, according to Malaysia's Home Ministry.

The U.N. high commissioner for refugees and rights groups have criticised the repatriation, saying the security and humanitarian situation in parts of Myanmar remains volatile and returnees could face persecution and forced military conscription in an active war zone.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 1, 2021, triggering widespread opposition and plunging large parts of the country into conflict.