Malaysia takes in Burmese shipwreck survivors rejected by Singapore

Rohingya boat people are heading south to Malaysia in record numbers Photo by Royal Thai Navy

Malaysia has accepted 40 shipwreck survivors from Burma who were in limbo for several days after being denied entry to Singapore.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees says the 40 men are believed to be minority Muslim Rohingya refugees from Rakhine state.

The survivors were rescued on December 5 by a Vietnamese cargo ship after their vessel sank in Burmese waters, reportedly drowning 160 others.

Last week, Singaporean authorities denied the ship entry to its harbour, saying those rescued did not appear to be "persons eligible to enter Singapore".

The ship was then thought to have headed toward Indonesia.

But Malaysia's maritime agency's director for command and control, Hamid Mohamad Amin, says Malaysian authorities have now taken the men in.

"I confirm 40 Myanmar nationals were rescued from the Vietnam-flagged cargo ship Nosco Victory," he said.

He says the men are in good and health and are being transported to the southern state of Johor on one of Malaysia's vessels.

Source Radio Australia:

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