Malaysia’s Myanmar refugee ‘ping pong’ plan; Bangladesh Prime Minister discusses Rohingya crisis at UN

Female prisoners in Burma are subjected ​to widespread torture, sexual violence and life-threatening medical neglect, Human Rights Watch said in a report published on Wednesday, underlining ​the chronic ill-treatment of thousands of detainees since the 2021 military coup. It states that more than 6,600 women, including State Counsellor Aung San ​Suu Kyi and 640 children are among the more than 30,000 political prisoners detained. “Women who have been detained as political prisoners in Myanmar paint a deeply disturbing picture of a ​prison system in which suffering and neglect are both deliberate and routine,” said Bryony Lau, Human Rights Watch Asia deputy ​director. Prison authorities beat some prisoners ​with sticks, chains, metal pipes, and slingshots, with some subjected to electric shocks, cigarette burns, prolonged stress positions and ​sexual violence. The HRW report drew on interviews with 17 former detainees, comprising female activists, journalists, aid and health care ‌workers, ⁠members of their families and lawyers, conducted from 2025-26. The former detainees said they were prosecuted under multiple criminal code provisions, including a post-coup law to punish opposition and dissent and a sweeping counter-terrorism law, according to the rights group. Malaysia’s Myanmar refugee ‘ping pong’ plan for repatriation Burma Campaign UK has issued an urgent call to Malaysia to immediately halt plans to deport approximately 5,000 Rohingya refugees back to Burma. The advocacy organization characterized the forced return policy as “refugee ping pong” that puts thousands of lives at grave risk by handing vulnerable populations directly over to the regime responsible for ongoing genocidal acts against them. Burma Campaign UK launched a global public campaign urging citizens and supporters to message Malaysian authorities demanding an end to the planned deportations. The call to action follows confirmation of an initial phase deporting 1,476 Burma nationals—mostly Rohingya—on Sept. 29 as part of a broader arrangement covering 5,000 individuals held in national immigration detention centers. Burma Campaign UK highlighted that the push for repatriation comes amid escalating anti-Rohingya prejudice and hate speech within Malaysia. Activists criticized Malaysian authorities for pandering to public hostility rather than countering xenophobia, while pointing out that major social media platforms continue to enable discriminatory narratives against refugees. Bangladesh Prime Minister to discuss Rohingya crisis at UN Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman met with Julie Bishop, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Burma, in New York City on Tuesday. The high-level bilateral dialogue focused on mobilizing sustained international action to secure a safe, voluntary, and dignified return for the nearly one million Rohingya currently residing in refugee camps in Bangladesh. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, where addressing the long-standing political and humanitarian dimensions of the Rohingya crisis serves as a central priority for Bangladesh. Bishop reiterated the U.N. commitment to engage key stakeholders across the region to establish viable protection conditions in Arakan State. Prime Minister Rahman’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon said that Prime Minister Rahman will call on the U.N. and the broader international community to move beyond short-term humanitarian relief and play an active role in resolving the root causes of displacement inside Burma. The meeting with Bishop was attended by senior Bangladeshi officials. News by Region ARAKAN—Eight Rohingya fishermen from Pauktaw Township were rescued at sea by fishing boats after allegedly being detained and abandoned by the Burma Navy in the Bay of Bengal on Friday. Pauktaw, located 131 miles (210 km) east of the state capital Sittwe, was seized by the Arakan Army (AA) in 2024. A Pauktaw resident told DVB on the condition of anonymity that members of the Burma Navy interrogated the eight fishermen on Sept. 17 looking for connections to the AA. Fishing communities living along the coast of Arakan are facing a crisis due to the military road and naval blockade since 2023. KACHIN—Sources close to the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) told DVB on Friday that an unknown number of minors are among the 151 military personnel, including 118 soldiers, detained as prisoners of war from seven Burma Navy vessels along the Irrawaddy River in Shwegu Township on Sept. 2. The KIA reported that at least 80 per cent of the 800 military personnel transported by 14 naval vessels were conscripts. It added that 34 of the total 118 soldiers detained are aged 16-30, who were “forcibly” recruited under the conscription law, without disclosing the exact number of minors. MAGWAY/CHIN—Nearly 200 military vehicles loaded with weapons reportedly arrived at Directorate of Defence Industries (DDI) 25 in Saw Township’s Laung She town on Sunday. The convoy included 10 passenger vehicles with regime staff to resume its administration in Saw, located 130 miles (209 km) north of the region’s capital Magway. A resistance member in Saw told DVB that regime forces are likely to soon launch a counteroffensive on neighboring Chin State’s Kanpetlet Township, which was seized by the Chin Brotherhood in 2024. Kanpetlet is located 13 miles (20 km) west of Saw and 189 miles (304 km) south of the state capital Hakha.