Asylum seeker from Myanmar returns to Switzerland
A man from Myanmar who was denied asylum by the Swiss authorities nearly four years ago has joined his family in Switzerland.
The foreign ministry had repeatedly called for his release from prison. He had been sentenced to 19 years in jail by the military rulers in Myanmar apparently for threatening the security and peace of the country.
Stanley Van Tha was sent back to Myanmar after he failed to convince the Swiss asylum authorities that he was the victim of political persecution.
His arrest in Yangon prompted an outcry in Switzerland and the justice ministry described his repatriation as a mistake. Van Tha was the first asylum seeker from Myanmar to be sent back since 1996.
His wife and his child have been living in Switzerland for some time, according to the Federal Migration Office.
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.