Malaysia expels two boats ferrying about 300 Myanmar migrants south-west of Langkawi
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The Rohingya experience persecution in their predominantly Buddhist homeland of Myanmar.
PHOTO: AFP
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KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia said on Jan 4 it expelled two boats ferrying about 300 undocumented migrants from Myanmar from the country’s waters.
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said the boats were located two nautical miles (3.7km) south-west of the northern resort of Langkawi late in the evening on Jan 3.
“MMEA provided assistance, including food and clean drinking water, before expelling the boats out to the national maritime border to continue their journey,” Director-General Mohd Rosli Abdullah said in a statement.
“We are also working closely with the Thai authorities to obtain additional information on the movements of these boats.”
On Jan 3, Malaysian police detained almost 200 suspected Rohingya migrants
The Rohingya experience persecution in their predominantly Buddhist homeland of Myanmar, with many fleeing to affluent, Muslim-majority Malaysia or refugee camps in Bangladesh.
They often endure harrowing, months-long sea journeys to arrive in Malaysia by boat or sneak into the country via its porous border with Thailand.
If caught, they are often sent to detention centres that rights groups say are typically overcrowded and filthy. AFP
