Boat of Rohingya marooned in South Asian waters for weeks

Nations urged to intervene

Human Rights groups have urged ASEAN member states and other countries, including India, to rescue a boat, carrying nearly 160 Rohingya refugees, who escaped from camps in Bangladesh, and are believed adrift off the coasts of Malaysia, India, Indonesia and Thailand for weeks, foreign media reports said.

Since late November, the vessel has been adrift on the high seas and several passengers have died, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The surviving passengers have no access to drinking water, food or medication.

“Reports indicate those onboard have now remained at sea for a month in dire conditions with insufficient food or water, without any efforts by States in the region to help save human lives,” the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, said in a statement. “Many are women and children, with reports of up to 20 people dying on the unseaworthy vessel during the journey.”

Politicians from Southeast Asia have urged ASEAN members and other countries to launch search and rescue operations and allow the disembarkation of the refugees.

“It is disgraceful that a boat filled with men, women, and children in grave danger has been allowed to remain adrift. Neglecting the people on the boat is nothing short of an affront to humanity,” said Eva Sundari, Board Member of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), and former Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives.

APHR chairperson and former Malaysia MP Charles Santiago said that the delay in rescuing has caused untold suffering and loss of lives. Human Rights organisation Amnesty has urged India to coordinate and cooperate with other governments on the search and rescue operations of stranded Rohingya refugees.

“We urge the Government of India to urgently coordinate and cooperate with other regional governments on the search and rescue operations of Rohingya refugees who are currently stranded in Indian waters with no medical support, food and water,” the Amnesty International said.

This is not the first time that boats carrying Rohingya refugees have been adrift at sea. On Dec 8, the Vietnamese oil service- Hai Duong 29- rescued 154 people from an adrift boat in the Andaman Sea and handed them to Myanmar’s Navy. Sri Lanka Navy also rescued 104 refugees on December 18 and disembarked at Kankesanturai Harbour.

Originally from Myanmar, Rohingyas have been suffering persecution for decades. After targeted military operations in 2017, they fled to neighbouring Bangladesh. Nearly a million Rohingya are living in refugee camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar. There are around 40,000 Rohingya Refugees, including 16,000 registered with UNHRC, in India.

In order to seek a better life in ASEAN countries like Malaysia, many Rohingya refugees take the help of human smugglers to undertake dangerous journeys through the Andaman Sea.