Malaysian and Thai authorities on Tuesday resumed their search for dozens of people missing at sea after a boat carrying members of Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority sank near the maritime border between the two countries, killing at least 21, reports Reuters.
Malaysia’s Maritime Enforcement Agency said 13 survivors have been rescued in Malaysian waters since Saturday, while 12 bodies — including two children — have been recovered.
Romli Mustafa, a regional director at the agency, said Thai authorities had located nine more bodies, though a police official in Thailand’s Satun province told Reuters that six had been found.
Romli said Malaysia’s search operations would continue until Saturday, while Thai rescue teams have widened their search area around Koh Tarutao, where most of the bodies were discovered.
For years, many Rohingya have risked their lives on unsafe wooden boats in attempts to reach neighboring countries — including Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand — fleeing persecution in Myanmar or overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh.
Buddhist-majority Myanmar denies persecuting the Rohingya, insisting they are illegal immigrants from South Asia rather than citizens of Myanmar.
According to Malaysian authorities, hundreds of Rohingya boarded a vessel bound for Malaysia two weeks ago before being split between two boats last Thursday. One boat carrying about 70 people sank shortly afterward, while the fate of roughly 230 passengers on the second vessel remains unclear.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates that more than 5,100 Rohingya have attempted to flee Myanmar and Bangladesh by sea between January and early November this year, with nearly 600 reported dead or missing.
The recurring arrival of Rohingya boats — often operated by people smugglers — has long frustrated members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), particularly Malaysia and Indonesia, which have accused Myanmar of failing to address the root causes of the crisis.
Malaysia, which does not formally recognize refugee status, has in recent years turned away Rohingya boats and detained many who arrive as part of a broader crackdown on undocumented migrants.
Rights group Amnesty International on Monday urged ASEAN governments to take urgent action to prevent further deaths at sea.
“The unconscionable practice of pushing boats away from borders must end,” Amnesty said in a statement. “Regional governments must ensure that refugees and migrants are allowed to land safely in the nearest country.”
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
