68 Myanmar refugees return home from Thai-Myanmar border camps

A total of 68 Myanmar refugees, temporarily sheltered in some Thai-Myanmar border camps, have returned home under the arrangement of the Thai authorities, according to the Labor Department Thursday.

The Myanmar internally-displaced persons were handed over by the Thai National Security Council to Myanmar's Kayin State Minister for Security and Border Affairs Col Aung Lwin Wednesday at a reception camp set up in Myanmar's border town of Myawaddy in Kayin state.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) called the first voluntary repatriation of Myanmar refugees "a milestone."

The Myanmar authorities are making arrangements to facilitate the finding of jobs for the returnees.

Meanwhile, The Thai authorities also handed six other Myanmar refugees to the Myanmar side in Dawei, Tanintharyi region in the day, according to the department.

The Myanmar government is working to ensure the return of 105,000 Myanmar refugees taking shelter in nine camps on the Thai-Myanmar border.

As strategic cooperation, the Myanmar government has inked a memorandum of understanding with the UNHCR for it to provide the returning refugees with education, health services, clean water, infrastructure and vocational training.

The government also called for collaborative efforts from the ethnic groups, civil society organizations and ethnic community for the refugees' return.

The Myanmar refugees, who fled domestic conflicts since decades ago, are being covered by a short-and long-term program as part of the undertakings of Myanmar's national reconciliation and peace process, reports said. Endit