Myanmar refugees from camps in Thailand return to their home country

BANGKOK, May 8 (TNA) -- Seventy three Myanmar refugees from camps in Thailand return to their home country in a repatriation program. The refugees of 23 households from three camps along the Thai-Myanmar border have voluntarily repatriated under the program overseen by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). It is the second batch of refugees repatriated under an agreement between Thailand and Myanmar after the first batch of 19 households in October last year. Thai officials arranged transportation for the refugees taking them from Mae Sot via Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge to Myanmar’s Myawaddy town. They are among refugee households registered for the UNHCR Voluntary Repatriation Center (VRC), who seeking refuge at camps in Mae La, Um Pheim, Ban Don Yang and Ban Mai Nai Soi. There are still over 100,000 refugees living at these camps having given temporary shelters for the displaced persons fleeing conflict in Myanmar since 1984. Myanmar officials and representatives of international organizations observed the handover ceremony. They were taken to register for national IDs in Myawaddy before traveling to their hometowns. (TNA)