Malaysia has sent about 1,086 Myanmar nationals back to their homeland, defying a court’s order and appeals from the human rights group to halt the process. Rights organisations say the group includes some ethnic minorities which have suffered persecution in Myanmar, the BBC reported.

They say that sending them back to Myanmar, which is in the midst of a coup, could put them at even greater risk. But Malaysia has said those being sent back committed immigration offences, and are not the asylum seekers.