Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said that the Myanmar government has indicated its readiness to use a ship to bring back 5,000 of its refugees.
He pointed out that he was informed of this matter when he recently met with Myanmar's Foreign Minister U Than Swe, but implementation must take into account the safety aspects for the refugees.
“When we send them back, will they be safe? Or, what situations will they face upon returning? These issues must also be considered.”
He said this at a press conference after attending the 59th ASEAN Day celebration today.
Mohamad Hasan said that Malaysia has identified the identities of the 5,000 refugees, and although a specific timeline has not yet been set, the process of repatriating them must be expedited.
He mentioned that the Myanmar refugee issue should not be viewed only from the perspective of the Rohingya, as there are also other ethnic groups from the country who have become refugees, including the Chin and Karen communities.
He noted that ASEAN also takes the Myanmar refugee issue very seriously and that this problem should be resolved collectively by member countries.
He emphasized that the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus (5PC) must continue to serve as the core mechanism for ASEAN in addressing the Myanmar crisis.
“We hope that the Myanmar government will follow the will of ASEAN leaders, because the Five-Point Consensus was signed and unanimously agreed upon by all parties, including Myanmar's leader at the time.”
“If any changes are to be made to the Five-Point Consensus, it must return to the negotiation table and be decided on by ASEAN leaders.”