Myanmar to accept repatriation of over 500 verified returnees from Bangladesh

YANGON, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar authorities have voiced acceptance of repatriation of 556 refugees from Bangladesh verified as having lived in Myanmar, Myanmar News Agency reported Wednesday.

The 556 refugees were scrutinized as acceptable from the first group of 8,032 proposed by the Bangladesh side and the process is continuing.

The returnees who will arrive through land routes will be accepted at the Taung Pyo Letwe reception center and those arriving via river routes will be repatriated at the Nga Khu Ya reception center, Myanmar authorities said.

Myanmar signed an agreement with Bangladesh on the return of displaced persons from Bangladesh in November last year, announcing readiness to start the process on Jan. 23 this year.

The arrangement was based on the joint statement signed by foreign ministers of the two countries in 1992 which guides the systematic verification and acceptance of displaced persons from Rakhine state.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army extremist terrorists launched attacks on police outposts in Myanmar's Rakhine State on Aug. 25, displacing a vast number of residents to border areas with Bangladesh. Enditem