The Government has begun discussions with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Vietnamese authorities regarding options for the repatriation of the remains of a 37-year-old Sri Lankan male refugee who had died last month.
According to the Sri Lankan Embassy in Hanoi, the refugee, one of the 303 who were rescued while adrift in the South China Sea and handed over to Vietnam, had died of organ failure while receiving treatment at a local hospital after he had consumed hand sanitiser with another refugee.
When contacted, Sri Lankan Ambassador to Vietnam Prasanna Gamage told The Sunday Morning that the wife of the deceased had requested that the remains be repatriated to Sri Lanka.
“We are in discussions with local authorities and the IOM regarding possible options to repatriate the remains of the deceased,” Gamage said.
However, Gamage disputed allegations that the deceased and another refugee had attempted to take their lives.
“The information we have received so far from the local authorities and the IOM does not support that view,” he said, adding that the second person who had also consumed hand sanitiser had done so after diluting it in water and as such, he had been released from hospital after treatment. Gamage pointed out that repatriation of human remains was an expensive matter.
According to Gamage, some of the refugees had expressed their desire to return to Sri Lanka, in a shift away from their previous stance of wanting to make their way to Canada.
“Some have expressed their desire to return to the IOM. We have to wait for the process to be completed to know how many are keen to return. Then the embassy can finalise matters and explore repatriation options. This is normal. Also, it takes time to talk to them and for trust to build for them to express their desire of returning home,” Gamage said.