Radio Free Asia reports that a group of North Korean defectors have been arrested for illegal entry in Myanmar and will be on trial next week.

The Washington-based, government-funded broadcaster said that 19 North Koreans sailed on a speedboat along the Mekong River and tried to enter Thailand but failed. Myanmar immigration officials caught them near the border of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar.

The report said the defectors were transferred to a prison in Keng Tung, a region in eastern Myanmar.

It added that the South Korean Embassy to Myanmar has been informed of the situation and is seeking cooperation from the local government.