Myanmar to repatriate 200 Bangladeshi 'boat people'

A refugee from Bangladesh, who was rescued by the Myanmar navy, is seen at a Muslim religious school used as a temporary refugee camp, at the Aletankyaw village in the Maungdaw township, in Rakhine state May 23, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

YANGON -- Myanmar will repatriate 200 Bangladeshi "boat people" to their homeland rescued by the Myanmar navy under an agreement between the authorities of the two countries, official media reported Tuesday.

The 200 "boat people" out of 208, sheltered at relief camps in Ale Thankyaw village of Maungtaw in Rakhine state, were scrutinized as Bangladeshi citizens from Cox's Bazar, Chittagong and northern Dhaka who had sought to migrate to Thailand and Malaysia for jobs.

Foreign ministries of the two countries have arranged the repatriation of the 200 Bangladeshi "boat people", while the other eight were found to be Bengalis from Rakhine state.

In its regular patrolling in Myanmar territorial waters, the Myanmar navy intercepted two suspected fishing trawlers off the western coast of Maungtaw, western Rakhine state last Thursday, with one having 208 people on board and the other with no passengers.

Investigation by the Myanmar government found that some of the "boat people" had fallen victim to human trafficking rings and crime syndicates after receiving offer of work in Thailand and Malaysia from illegal job brokers.

Earlier, the Myanmar immigration authorities had repatriated 11 Bangladeshi refugees who drifted to shore near Oodaung village in Maungtaw, Rakhine state, recently after being forced to jump down from a boat bound for Malaysia.