Malaysia’s Myanmar bet? Repatriations pave way for diplomacy

Several members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have stepped up engagement with Myanmar at the bilateral level recently, raising questions about whether a gradual normalisation between the bloc and the country could undermine efforts to end its civil war, according to analysts.

Under the repatriation scheme – which has drawn criticism from human rights groups and the United Nations refugee agency – 1,479 returnees were transported from Malaysia aboard two navy warships and a hospital ship.