The rescue team has located the bodies of 23 Rohingyas that were escaping Myanmar’s Rakhine state, tragically struck by a shipwreck earlier this week.
It is reported that 30 individuals remain unaccounted for, whilst eight were fortunate enough to survive the ordeal.
According to survivors, the doomed boat was en route to Malaysia with more than 50 passengers aboard when disaster struck on Sunday. The boat’s crew abandoned the passengers and fled.
Annually, thousands of Rohingyas risk this hazardous journey across the sea to find refuge in Malaysia or Indonesia, fleeing the persecution they face in Myanmar and the overpopulated refugee camps in Bangladesh. The death toll from this week includes 13 females and 10 males, all of whom belong to the Rohingya Muslim community, as confirmed by a rescue team speaking to BBC Burmese.
The Rohingya Muslims, a minuscule ethnic group amidst the primarily Buddhist population of Myanmar, have been victims of what the UN considers could be genocide, instigated by the Burmese military. Consequently, many Rohingyas escaped to Bangladesh in 2017, while others within Myanmar have also been seeking escape routes since the military coup in 2021.
In the aftermath of the recent boat capsizing event close to Sittwe – the capital of Rakhine, survivors recount how a gigantic wave struck their boat.
Reports indicate that the smugglers, who had received payment in the region of $4,000 (£3,153) per individual for transportation to Malaysia, subsequently deserted the vessel. Deceased victims’ remains have either been collected by other vessels or discovered on the shore.
Undertaking a lengthy travel across the Andaman Sea packed into fishing boats is inherently perilous. However, it becomes particularly life-threatening during this period: the height of the monsoon storm season.
The majority of Rohingyas attempt their border crossing between October and May.
Driven by catastrophic living conditions that compel them to take risks, many Rohingyas sell their only tangible assets, like land, to finance their journey. These appalling living conditions can be seen in the overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh, where they reside across the Myanmar border. Alternatively, in Myanmar itself, they face discrimination and restrictions on their movement.
[sourcelink link=”https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/south-asia/myanmar-rohingya-refugee-boat-death-b2391450.html”]
