Rescued Myanmar refugees to be handed over to Police

The Navy today is due to hand over 104 Myanmar nationals rescued off the northern coast ovr the weekend to the Police before being produced in courts, officials said.

The persons rescued which includes women and children were accommodated in Navy camp after undergoing a medical check up at the Thellipalai hospital late last night.

The UNHCR representatives were involved in two meetings yesterday in the North amidst to discuss handling of the issue.

Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Myanmar was yesterday in Jaffna on a programme organized by northern Governor’s office.

Those rescued were Rohingya people who have faced decades of systematic discrimination, statelessness and targeted violence in Rakhine State, which had forced has forced Rohingya women, girls, boys and men into Bangladesh for many years, with significant spikes following violent attacks in 1978, 1991-1992, and again in 2016.

It was August 2017 that triggered by far the largest and fastest refugee influx into Bangladesh. Since then, more than 773,000 Rohingya—including more than 400,000 children.

Those recued were heading by boat from Bangladesh to Indonesia by a depleted boat.

Those rescued claimed two other boats had left with them but one of them had sunk.

The Navy meanwhile last night issued a statement on the rescue mission. The Statement said:

Sri Lanka Navy rendered assistance to rescue 104 distressed Myanmar nationals aboard a passenger craft in Sri Lanka’s waters about 3.5 nautical miles north of Veththalakerni this morning (18th December 2022). The distressed craft is reported to have trespassed into island’s territorial waters last night (17th December), following a mechanical failure while it was carrying these people from Myanmar to Indonesia.

Upon receipt of the distress call by the Operations Room of the Northern Naval Command, the Navy on 17th December rushed SLNS Udara as well as Fast Attack Craft P 411 and P497 of the 04th Fast Attack Flotilla attached to the Northern Naval Command for the rescue of these distressed people, to the sea area where the incident was reported.

In rough sea condition, the Navy made a strenuous effort and rescued those 104 Myanmar nationals who were aboard the non-operational craft and the group of people was brought to the Kankasanthurai Harbour and looked into their basic requirements. Meanwhile, the group of people will be handed over to relevant authorities for onward action.

In accordance with Sri Lanka's international obligations as an island nation to the conventions such as International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea 1974 – SOLAS and International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue 1979, the Navy remains ever alert to assist maritime and fishing communities in distress in Sri Lanka’s Search and Rescue Region.