Kuala Lumpur: Seventy-five illegal Sri Lankan immigrants on their way to Australia have left a leaking boat that was in danger of capsizing, ending a two-day stand-off with Malaysian authorities, officials said Monday.
Police stopped the fishing trawler on Friday during a routine patrol and towed it to a base in northern Penang state, marine police official Rosli Sufian said.
Source: AP
- The immigrants initially refused to leave the boat, demanding assurance that they would be given asylum. Rosli said the Sri Lankans eventually relented and disembarked on Sunday when police boarded the boat.
- He declined to say whether any assurances were given. The Sri Lankans have been detained in a centre for illegal immigrants until it can be assessed whether they are refugees or human trafficking victims. "Of course they were reluctant and quite aggressive," he said. "The boat had a problem. Most probably it was going to capsize ... We couldn't let them drown."
- Rosli said the boat crew is believed to have escaped when police approached the boat. The boat still is afloat near a beach and the people on board, including about a dozen children, were hoping to reach Australia to seek asylum there, he added
No comments:
Post a Comment