Arakan News Agency
The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, plans to interview the boat people who have recently landed in Langkawi once the immigration work by Malaysian authorities is sorted out. UNHCR representative Richard Towle said the interview process would help determine the identity and origin of the individuals involved.
“From that process, we could determine who they are,” he said, cautioning that in previous instances, some Rohingya refugees had claimed that they were Bangladeshis and vice-versa. Towle said the process would also help the UN agency determine the appropriate assistance that could be rendered. He was one of the participants of a panel discussion on the migrant situation jointly organised by the Global Movement of Moderates and the human rights society Proham. On May 10, a total of 1,158 Rohingya and Bangladeshi boat people landed on Malaysian shores while others reached northern Sumatera. On May 20, Indonesia and Malaysia agreed to continue to provide humanitarian assistance, by offering temporary shelter to 7,000 boat people still at sea.
Source : BERNAMA
