Myanmar monk to bring home citizens stranded in Sri Lanka

(MENAFN- Colombo Gazette) More than 140 Myanmar nationals stranded in Sri Lanka, including Buddhist monks, will return to the country on a flight organised by Sitagu Sayadaw, a highly respected monk, the Myanmar Times reported.

U Kimara of Sitagu Buddhist University in Sagaing Region said the stranded people will return on May 16, and be quarantined in a university facility.

'The Buddhist monks were studying in Sri Lanka, and the other stranded people were migrant workers and pilgrims,' U Kumara said.

On April 22, Sitagu Sadayaw booked a flight to India to bring home over 260 stranded Myanmar people.

The Myanmar Government has also organised flights to bring home Myanmar citizens stranded in other countries by the COVID-19 lockdowns.

The Myanmar Embassy in Israel is organising a flight for citizens stranded in Israel, Cyprus and Jordan. The Embassy said there is no date yet for the flight to Myanmar, but stranded workers in those countries must get to Seoul on their own to catch it, and should immediately email their interest in the flight to the Myanmar mission in Israel.

The Government is also organising flights for citizens stranded in Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Bangkok, India, the Philippines, Denmark, England, Sweden, Ireland and Malaysia.

The airlines offering the flights are All Nippon Airways, Myanmar National Airlines and Myanmar Airways International.

Nearly 200 citizens stranded in South Korea and Japan arrived in Yangon over the weekend and were quarantined in a facility for 21 days.

Also, tens of thousands of migrant workers have begun returning from China and Thailand through border gates in Kachin and Kayin states. (Colombo Gazette)

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