Over 200 Arakanese Deported From Malaysia Sent to Military Recruitment Center

By Shwe Zin Win Htike | Narinjara, October 8, 2026

The Myanmar military regime has reportedly transferred more than 200 recently deported Arakanese(Rakhine) nationals to a military recruitment center in Yangon, where they are being interrogated over potential links to the Arakan Army (AA).

Concerns are mounting as families report they have lost all contact with the detainees.

Among the undocumented migrants recently repatriated from Malaysia to Yangon, 220 ethnic Arakanese individuals were moved to a military recruitment facility located in Hlaing Tharyar Township.

A source close to the group told Narinjara that this transfer strongly points toward plans for forced military conscription.

"Not a single Rakhine person is being released; they are all being interrogated regarding possible links to the AA," the source said. "Everyone is currently being held at the Hlaing Tharyar recruitment center. While individuals from other ethnic groups subject to the military service law are also there, not a single Rakhine individual has been let go."

Forced Conscription Instead of Reunification

The detainees belong to a larger group of 1,476 Myanmar nationals, including the 220 ethnic Rakhine individuals, who had been held in Malaysian detention centers. They were repatriated by sea by the Malaysian government on September 29 and arrived in Yangon on the morning of October 4.

Although the military junta initially announced that the returnees would be safely handed over to their families upon arrival, sources state that the majorityin, cluding nearly all of the ethnic Rakhine nationals, were instead intercepted and taken directly to the Hlaing Tharyar facility.

"They took photographs and allowed some families to see them briefly. Then, everyone was taken away to the military recruitment center," a source noted.

Family members have expressed deep anxiety regarding their safety, especially given the high-stakes interrogation over alleged connections to the AA.

Expanding Repatriations Draw International Alarm

The initial arrival is part of a broader agreement between the Malaysian government and Myanmar authorities to repatriate approximately 5,000 detained Myanmar nationals, including women and children. With the first batch of 1,476 individuals delivered, arrangements are reportedly underway to return the remaining 3,524 people.

The situation has sparked swift international backlash. On October 5, the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) urged Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his government to immediately suspend all further repatriations of Myanmar nationals until safe conditions can be guaranteed.

APHR raised explicit alarms that returnees face forced military conscription under the ruling junta rather than being allowed to return to their homes.

Concurrently, Myanmar’s junta leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, is on a two-day official visit to Malaysia to hold discussions regarding bilateral issues, including the ongoing repatriation of Myanmar migrant workers.

Photo: Individuals subjected to forced military conscription / Note: This is a file photo.