UN Expert Urges Malaysia to Halt Myanmar Returns as Refugees Face War and Violence

The expert said Malaysia must uphold the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning people to places where they face a real risk of persecution, torture or other serious human rights violations.

A United Nations human rights expert has urged Malaysia to stop returning Myanmar nationals, warning that people being sent back could face persecution, torture and other serious abuses in a country gripped by civil war. Kelley E. Currie, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, called on Malaysian authorities to work with the United Nations system and other partners to protect Rohingya and other Myanmar refugees, placing their safety and the country's international legal obligations at the centre of any decision about their return.

Thousands Face Return Despite Serious Safety Concerns

Currie expressed grave concern over Malaysia's decision to begin returning 5,000 Myanmar nationals, including women and children, through a programme described as "voluntary repatriation" and agreed with Myanmar's military authorities. According to information cited in the statement, the first group of 1,476 people began being repatriated on 29 September 2026. For those facing return, the question extends beyond travelling home: it concerns whether they can live safely once they arrive, without being exposed to violence, persecution or conditions that threaten their basic rights.

The expert said Malaysia must uphold the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning people to places where they face a real risk of persecution, torture or other serious human rights violations. Her assessment is that the risk under the present circumstances is substantial. She urged the government to examine the legal, humanitarian and practical requirements for voluntary repatriation and ensure the rights of all Myanmar refugees in Malaysia are protected, stressing that current conditions do not support returns that are safe, dignified, sustainable and genuinely voluntary.

Deadly Market Airstrike Underscores the Danger

A reported military airstrike on a crowded marketplace in Rakhine State has sharpened concerns about the dangers facing civilians inside Myanmar. Currie strongly condemned the 28 September attack on India Market in Pike Thae village, Kyauktaw Township, where more than 50 civilians were reported killed and many others injured. Rescue efforts were continuing, with the death toll expected to rise, adding to the uncertainty for families searching for relatives and communities already living with the daily threat of armed conflict.

Currie called for an end to the normalisation and legitimisation of the military's brutal violations of international law, pointing to its use of fixed-wing bombers to target civilians. She reminded Myanmar's military authorities of their duty to protect civilians under the international law governing armed conflict. Her warning connects the repatriation programme to the realities on the ground: ongoing fighting, widespread violence and systematic abuses against Rohingya people by all parties mean refugees cannot currently be assured of a safe return.

Rohingya Families Face Worsening Conditions and Restricted Aid

The civil war continues to endanger Rohingya people who remain in Myanmar, with violence directed at civilian populations and institutions in Rakhine State driving new refugee movements out of the country. Currie described conditions in camps for internally displaced people under the military authorities' effective control as having deteriorated to extreme levels of deprivation. Fresh reports of atrocities against Rohingya civilians by armed groups on all sides of the conflict deepen concerns about what returning refugees could encounter and whether they would have access to basic protection and support.

Myanmar's military authorities continue to severely restrict independent humanitarian assistance and access for verification and monitoring, including assessments of conditions for people who might be returned. Those restrictions make it harder to establish whether promises of safety match people's actual circumstances. Currie's appeal asks Malaysia to halt the ongoing repatriations and work with the UN system and others on a response that protects refugees' rights, recognising that the conflict, reported atrocities and worsening camp conditions leave the requirements for safe return unmet.