Myanmar migrants in Malaysia protest Min Aung Hlaing visit online and offline

Myanmar migrant workers in Malaysia took their protest online this week as President Min Aung Hlaing made an official visit to Kuala Lumpur on 7 and 8 October.

Min Aung Hlaing led the February 2021 coup that triggered Myanmar’s civil war and became president in April after a widely criticised election. His visit followed the return of 1,476 Myanmar nationals from Malaysian immigration detention, despite warnings from the UN refugee agency and rights groups.

Ahead of the trip, the Myanmar Affairs Alliance, a migrant workers’ coalition, called for a strike on 7 October. For workers who could not risk their jobs, it offered an online alternative, asking supporters to change their profile pictures to a “Bloodstained Ghost” image.

On 8 October, the alliance held a protest in Kuala Lumpur calling for the release of political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi. The same day, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim pledged to help bring Myanmar back into the ASEAN fold, while Min Aung Hlaing promised to take back verified nationals “as soon as possible”. Malaysia says the talks do not mean it recognises his government.

ASEAN has barred Myanmar’s leaders from its top meetings since the coup. Yet Malaysia is the fifth member state to host Min Aung Hlaing since April, and thousands more Myanmar nationals are due to be sent back.