Some boat people, recently arrested, repatriated

30 Jul 2019

Wuntha (Maungdaw) | DMG

30 July, Maungdaw

After conducting interrogations with 61 Muslims, who were arrested on 7 July at Myin Lut beach in south of Maungdaw Township, 31 adult Muslims and 3 children were found that they are residents from Maugndaw and Buthidaung Townships but they fled to Bangladesh during the 2017 violence conflict.

The Myanmar government accepted them on 29 July under the UEHRD program.

“We had to go to Malaysia because we could not return home. We did not know the government would repatriate us. We have faced trouble in the sea. Luckily, we did not die at sea. And we are repatriated. I really thank the government for helping us,” said Ma Zura Khatu, one of the repatriated boat people.   

Those who have been repatriated under the UEHRD program were provided food and are going to be sent to home, said U Kyaw Zaw Oo, official of A Lay Than Kyaw village.

“They tried to go to Malaysia from Bangladesh. They were stranded at Myin Lut beach when the motorboat they were in broke down. They were first taken to Nga Khu Ya repatriation camp. Then they were taken to Hla Phoe Khaung transit camp. A township administrator handed them to proper village chiefs. We will bring them to our village,” he said.  

However, the remaining 27 of them are going to be charged under immigration laws. Theywere discovered to be refugees from the IDP camps in Sittwe Township, such as Saydamargyi and Dar Paing, officials confirmed.

Authorities from the Department of Immigration and Population said that they have filed a complaint against the 27 Muslims under section 13 (1) of the Immigration law for attempting to go to Malaysia illegally.

The 61 Muslims had paid BDT 25,000 (about USD 300) per person as a fee to send them to Malaysia, they said.

Four boat crews and one interpreter, who were arrested along with the boat people attempting to go to Malaysia, have also had complaints filed against them at A Lay Than Kyaw police station.