A boat carrying Rohingya individuals from Myanmar sank near the Thai-Malaysian border, resulting in seven confirmed deaths and hundreds missing, according to the Malaysian maritime agency. The vessel, which had approximately 300 people aboard, departed from Myanmar’s Rakhine state three days prior. Search operations are underway in a 170-square-nautical-mile area near Langkawi Island, with 13 survivors rescued.
The Rohingya community has faced years of conflict and persecution in Rakhine state, particularly following a brutal military crackdown in 2017 that displaced many. Currently, around 1.3 million Rohingya live in overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh. As conditions worsen, many attempt dangerous sea journeys to reach Malaysia.
Reports indicate that the migrants initially boarded a larger vessel but were transferred to three smaller boats to evade detection. The status of the remaining two boats remains unclear. Since the beginning of the year, over 5,100 Rohingya have attempted to flee by sea, with nearly 600 reported dead or missing, according to the UN Refugee Agency.
