300 Myanmar boat people turned away after given food and water

300 Myanmar boat people turned away after given food and water

Coastguard chief says the passengers on the two boats appeared to be exhausted after an arduous journey without sufficient food and water.

Myanmar migrants
Two boats carrying about 300 Myanmar nationals were escorted out of Malaysian waters yesterday after being supplied with food and water. (MMEA pic)
ALOR SETAR:
The Malaysian coastguard has intercepted two boats carrying nearly 300 Myanmar nationals off the southwest coast of Pulau Rebak, Langkawi.

Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director-general Admiral Rosli Abdullah said they discovered the boats at around 4.16pm yesterday.

The passengers appeared to be exhausted after an arduous journey without sufficient food and water, said Rosli.

“It is estimated that nearly 300 people were on board. The agency provided immediate assistance, including food supplies and drinking water, before escorting the boats out of Malaysian waters to continue their journey,” he said in a statement today.

He added that they were also working with Thai enforcement authorities to gather more information about the movements of the boats.

Yesterday, Rosli said MMEA had intensified patrols to track other Myanmar nationals reportedly heading to Langkawi. The operation followed the detention of 196 Myanmar nationals in the Pantai Teluk Yu area of Langkawi at 3.25am yesterday, after their boat ran aground in the area.

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