The Justice Ministry granted refugee status to two Myanmar men on Tuesday, bringing the number of refugees recognized this year to 16, sources said.
The ministry did not release the names, sex or nationalities of the two recipients. However, lawyers supporting the pair said that they are 38 and 43 years old and men from Myanmar.
One of them was granted refugee status after appealing an earlier rejection by the ministry, while the other was recognized as a refugee after his second application for political asylum, according to the lawyers.
The Myanmar government accused the two of being involved in an April 1997 bombing attack on a military leader in Yangon, they added.