The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that they and the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Myanmar have continued to actively seek the assistance and cooperation of Myanmar authorities on the safe repatriation of the 56 Sri Lankan nationals who have been trafficked to Myanmar.

In a statement, the ministry notes that this situation has been an ongoing issue since 2022 32 victims were rescued in the 2022/2023 period from time to time.

“Given the grave nature of the situation, Foreign Minister M U M Ali Sabry raised concerns on the safety of Sri Lankan nationals with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar Than Swe on the sidelines of BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers’ Retreat in Bangkok, Thailand. The Foreign Ministry officials continue to raise serious concerns on the safety of Sri Lankan nationals with the Myanmar Ambassador in Colombo and seek assistance and early intervention to secure their rescue and repatriation,” it adds.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs requests “all Sri Lankan nationals, seeking job opportunities in the Southeast Asia region not to fall prey to human trafficking and criminal syndicates who offer large salaries without proper job contracts and work visas.”

“The Ministry will continue to seek all possible avenues to ensure the safety and security of our nationals and seek early repatriation in consultation with the Government of Myanmar,” the statement further notes.