New Delhi, July 31 -- KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's Home Ministry began identifying and screening thousands of detained Myanmar nationals on Wednesday, setting in motion what Kuala Lumpur is presenting as a long-overdue diplomatic arrangement with Naypyidaw, and what human rights organizations are calling a dangerous exercise in providing cover for mass deportation.

The screening comes a day after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, speaking at a campaign rally ahead of regional elections in Negeri Sembilan, told supporters that Myanmar had agreed to accept 5,000 of its nationals currently held in Malaysian immigration detention. "People ask why we do not simply send them back," Anwar said. "Myanmar had refused to accept them before. Now, because ...