Eight Sri Lankans, rescued from the Myawaddy area of Myanmar have been received today by the officials of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Bangkok and will be repatriated to Sri Lanka soon.

The Sri Lankans, who were rescued on March 4, 2024 by Myanmar authorities from Myawaddy and were kept under their protection. They were transported to the Meosot area of Thailand, which borders Myanmar and handed over to the Immigration authorities of Thailand. The officials of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Bangkok are now accompanying the rescued Sri Lankans to Bangkok.         

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry had earlier discussions with Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar and Thailand regarding the rescue and repatriation of Sri Lankans, given the complex security situation in Myanmar.

The Embassies of Sri Lanka in Bangkok and Yangon, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka are making arrangements for their repatriation to Sri Lanka, upon completion of the required formalities.

Sri Lanka’s Ambassadors in Myanmar and Bangkok, as per the directives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, liaised with the authorities in Yangon and Bangkok for the rescue and repatriation.

The Consular Affairs Division of the Ministry with the logistical support of the International Organization for Migration, is facilitating the repatriation of these Sri Lankans.