Rohingyas Say ‘Better To Die At Sea’ As Malaysia Steps Up Search After Boat Capsizes, Killing 11

Malaysian maritime authorities on Monday increased patrol in the coastal waters in the Andaman Sea to search for members of Myanmar’s Rohingya community who went missing when their boat capsized. So far, a total of 11 bodies have been recovered by Thailand and Malaysian authorities. Anadolu Agency quoted Malaysia’s Kedah police chief Adzli Abu Shah as saying that the group heading to Malaysia from Myanmar first boarded a large vessel carrying 300 people, but as they approached the border, they were ordered to switch to three smaller boats, each holding roughly 100 people, in order to evade detection by authorities. “However, three days ago, the boat they were on capsized, and the incident is believed to have occurred in Thai waters before they drifted into Malaysian waters,” he said. According to Reuters, Malaysian authorities have found 13 survivors and seven bodies while Thailand has recovered four bodies, including two Rohingya girls. “The Thai Navy and Marine Police have carried out additional inspections,” Sakra Kapilakarn, the governor of Thailand’s southern Satun province, told Reuters. Meanwhile, the Malaysian police said on Monday that those rescued have been detained pending an investigation into probable immigration offences. Reuters quoted the regional head of Malaysia’s maritime agency as saying that air assets were being deployed by both Thailand and Malaysia to search for survivors. “It will be easier for us and our sea assets,” Romli Mustafa told a press conference, adding that the search operation could last seven days. The Thailand authorities have recovered refugee cards, issued in Bangladesh, from the two children as among those living in Cox’s Bazar camps. “People are desperate,” said Naser Khan, a Rohingya refugee in Cox’s Bazar. “People are dying in the fighting, dying from hunger. So some think it’s better to die at sea than to die slowly here.” Members of the Rohingya community in Myanmar continue to face abuse, discrimination, and statelessness, often fleeing the country.