At least 11 people have been confirmed dead after a boat carrying members of Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya community capsized near the Thailand-Malaysia border, authorities said Monday. The vessel was believed to be carrying around 70 passengers.
The fate of another boat carrying 230 people remains unclear, Malaysian officials added, though 13 survivors have been rescued so far, mostly Rohingya. Thai authorities reported recovering four bodies, including two children, in addition to the seven fatalities confirmed by Malaysia’s maritime agency.
Driven from Myanmar’s Rakhine state by years of conflict and ethnic violence, and facing harsh conditions in refugee camps in Bangladesh, many Rohingya attempt dangerous sea journeys to countries including Malaysia and Indonesia. About 1.3 million Rohingya currently live as refugees in Bangladesh following the 2017 military crackdown in Myanmar.
At a press briefing on Langkawi Island, near the search area, Malaysia’s maritime agency confirmed that both Malaysian and Thai air and sea assets were deployed in the ongoing search for survivors. Romli Mustafa, director of Malaysia’s maritime agency in Kedah and Perlis, said the search operation could last up to seven days.
“Good communication and cooperation with the Thai agency makes it easier to coordinate our efforts,” Romli said. He added that the ill-fated vessel had departed Myanmar about two weeks ago, with some passengers transferring to another boat on Thursday. Of the 13 survivors rescued, 11 were Rohingya and two were from Bangladesh.
UN Refugee Agency data shows that more than 5,100 Rohingya have attempted sea journeys from Myanmar and Bangladesh so far this year, with nearly 600 reported dead or missing. Thai officials confirmed that among the four bodies recovered on their side were two children aged 12 and 10, and two adults, with two women identified as Rohingya through refugee cards.
The tragic incident underscores the ongoing dangers faced by the Rohingya as they flee persecution and seek safer lives abroad.
