Myanmar to repatriate more Bengali "boat people"
Xinhua, May 30, 2015 Adjust font size:
Myanmar authorities will repatriate 727 more Bengali "boat people", rescued by Myanmar navy off southern coast Friday, to their original home after carrying out detailed investigation, an official report said Saturday.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the 727 Bengali "boat people" set out from the sea between Myanmar and Bangladesh in the fourth week of March with three boats to go to Malaysia via Thailand, said the Global New Light of Myanmar.
On arrival at Thai waters, they waited for Malaysian boats that would transport them to Malaysia for 45 days and as no one came to fetch them, they sailed back to their original place.
The boat people were sent by the navy to Haigyi Island for further action.
On May 21, in its regular patrolling, Myanmar navy intercepted two suspected fishing trawlers off the western coast of Maungtaw, western Rakhine state, one of which has 208 people on board and the other was empty.
Among them, 200 were identified as Bangladeshi and arrangement were being made to repatriate them to their homeland under an agreement between authorities of Myanmar and Bangladesh. Endi