In a recent maritime incident, a boat carrying over 50 Rohingya refugees attempting to flee Myanmar’s Rakhine state capsized, drowning 17 individuals, as confirmed by rescue teams on Thursday. Countless Rohingyas risk treacherous sea journeys from Bangladesh each year, hoping to reach countries like Malaysia and Indonesia.
Byar La, a Shwe Yaung Metta Foundation rescuer, informed that the boat faced tumultuous seas on Sunday night en route to Malaysia. While 17 bodies have been recovered, eight survivors are currently under police questioning. The exact count of passengers remains uncertain.
Myanmar’s Rakhine, predominantly Buddhist, still shelters around 600,000 Rohingyas. These individuals, deemed as migrants from Bangladesh, are devoid of citizenship and movement rights. A significant 2017 military crackdown led to around 750,000 Rohingyas escaping to Bangladesh amidst harrowing tales of violence and abuse.
In another incident, a migrant ship departing from Tunisia’s Sfax sank near Italy’s Lampedusa island, resulting in 41 casualties. The survivors, hailing from Ivory Coast and Guinea, were eventually rescued by a cargo vessel before an Italian coast guard transfer. This tragedy amplifies the perils faced by migrants: a staggering 1,800 lost their lives in 2023 attempting the North African-European voyage.
