One hundred and twenty-three Myanmar fishermen who have languished for years in an Indian prison have been handed over by the Indian government to the Myanmar Embassy in Delhi and provided free and safe passage back home, according to a report in state-run media.
The fishermen—who were mostly from the Ayerwady delta, but also from Rakhine State, Tanintharyi Region, Mon state and Yangon Region—had been detained for trespassing into Indian waters.
Myanmar’s Deputy Director of the Ministry of Social Welfare and Resettlement, Aung Kyaw, said, “While conducting negotiations between consulates, immigration officers went to inspect them [the 123 fishermen] to ascertain they were Myanmar citizens.”
He said their return was made possible after negotiations on humanitarian grounds.
Daw Aye Mratt Thar, marketing manager from Myanmar’s national airline, MAI, said, “MAI has been providing help for the victims’ return from Malaysia free of charge, but this is the first time we have assisted fishermen return home.”
Win Kyaing, General Secretary of Myanmar Fisheries Federation, said that 103 of the detained fishermen were from Ayeyarwady region.
One of the returnees, Hnin Hlaing, said, “Our boat was set adrift due to engine failure while fishing, so I spent four years in jail. It’s been over a year since I’ve had contact with my family.”
Another detainee, Ko Nyi Lay from Rakhine State, who spent three years at the Port Blair Prison facility, said, “There are still about 1,000 Myanmar citizens left over there in the prison.’
The Myanmar Fisheries Federation provided food and a travel allowance for the fishermen to return to their homes. Since 2000, a total of 4,398 Myanmar fishermen have so far been brought back from India, according to the report.
