Kuala Lumpur: A boat carrying Rohingya refugees from Myanmar has sunk near the Thai-Malaysian maritime border, leaving hundreds missing, eleven dead, and 13 rescued, Malaysian authorities confirmed.
The vessel, which reportedly had around 300 people on board, departed from Myanmar’s troubled Rakhine state three days earlier. Search and rescue teams from Malaysia’s maritime agency began combing an area of roughly 170 square nautical miles off Langkawi island on Saturday in hopes of finding survivors.
Romli Mustafa, the local maritime agency chief, said strong currents and poor visibility were hampering rescue operations. Authorities fear the death toll could rise sharply as time passes.
According to Malaysian police, the refugees had initially boarded a larger vessel in Myanmar but were told to transfer to three smaller boats, each carrying about 100 people, as they neared Malaysian waters to avoid detection. The fate of the remaining two boats remains unknown.
The Rohingya, a persecuted Muslim minority from Myanmar, have endured years of conflict and displacement. Following the military’s brutal crackdown in 2017, more than 1.3 million Rohingya fled to neighbouring Bangladesh, where they now live in overcrowded refugee camps under harsh conditions.
With little hope of returning home and limited prospects in Bangladesh, many continue to risk their lives at sea, attempting dangerous journeys to reach Southeast Asian nations such as Malaysia and Indonesia.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates that over 5,100 Rohingya have embarked on such voyages from Myanmar and Bangladesh between January and early November this year. Nearly 600 have been reported dead or missing during these perilous crossings.
Malaysia, a key destination for Rohingya refugees, has seen a steady rise in maritime arrivals in recent years despite tougher border patrols. Human rights groups have urged regional governments to coordinate rescue and protection efforts, warning that the Andaman Sea is becoming a graveyard for those fleeing persecution and despair.
