REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, YANGON -- Myanmar's navy is escorting a boat crammed with 727 abandoned migrants to the waters of neighbouring Bangladesh, four days after intercepting it in the Andaman Sea, the country's information minister said on Tuesday.

The migrants, who were found drifting on Friday in a converted fishing boat that was taking on water, wanted to go to Bangladesh rather than Myanmar and the navy was assisting them, said Ye Htut, who is also Myanmar's presidential spokesman.

"The Myanmar navy will accompany them to Bangladesh waters.

They will provide them with water, food and other things," he told Reuters by telephone. "It is based on their wishes, we will cooperate with them to send them to Bangladesh."

Ye Htut did not say where the migrants were from.

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