Malaysia releases 66 Sri Lankan refugees from camp

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysian immigration officials have released 66 Sri Lankan refugees from a detention camp and handed them over to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a news report said Wednesday. Two buses took the 66 men, women and children Wednesday to the capital, Kuala Lumpur, to be placed in the care of the UNHCR office until a country can be found to accept them, a UN official told the Star online news portal.

The detainees were among 105 Sri Lankans who have been held at the camp in the southern state of Johor since September for not having valid travel documents.

Last week, six of the detainees allegedly went on a hunger strike, demanding to be allowed to meet UNHCR officials whom they claimed had issued them refugee status.

"We are delighted that some of them have been released and the process was fast," state immigration deputy director Amran Ahmad was quoted as saying by the Star.

"Efforts have begun to secure the release of another 21 as well," he said.

Amran said of the 105 detainees, 17 have been charged with immigration offenses while one has been released to his employer.

However, he refuted the hunger strike claims, saying the detainees have been well-fed and taken care of at the centre.

UNHCR external relations officer Yante Ismail thanked the government for the speedy release of the refugees, who had fled unrest in their homeland.

"We will continue to advocate the release of the remaining refugees and asylum seekers as soon as possible," she said.

Malaysia is both a transit point and permanent asylum site for tens of thousands of refugees from countries experiencing political turmoil, such as Myanmar and Sri Lanka.