Malaysia began repatriating Myanmar nationals under a voluntary program despite warnings from the United Nations refugee agency and rights groups that conditions in the country remain unsafe for them.
The 1,476 people who began the trip Monday are among 5,000 Myanmar nationals who will be repatriated in stages from Malaysia, where 10,388 Myanmar nationals were being held at immigration detention depots nationwide as of Aug. 15, according to Malaysia’s Home Ministry.
