A second tragedy recently occurred off the coast of Malaysia when a boat with Rohingya migrants capsized. As of this writing, at least seven lives have been claimed by the storm, with hundreds more missing and presumed dead. The boat had set out from Buthidaung in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state. It was carrying some 300 people on board, mostly Rohingya Muslims, who fled Myanmar after years of brutal persecution.
Global attention has focused on the suffering of Rohingya refugees. Hundreds of thousands are escaping repression and violence, some making life-threatening land and sea journeys to find security and a chance at a better life. Malaysia has long provided a refuge for people from the Rohingya community. Its historical acceptance, with a far more homogeneous Malay Muslim population and robust adherence to humanitarian principles, is largely attributed to the prevalent demographics. In fact, Malaysian authorities have been intensifying their efforts to keep out new arrivals of Rohingya refugees. They anticipate a wave of migrants by sea, particularly following their repatriation of two boats with almost 300 people on board earlier this year.
Since the capsizing, rescue operations have focused on finding survivors. The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and the Royal Malaysia Police have been heavily engaged in the search and rescue mission. To date, rescuers have found the bodies of seven migrants, including Rohingya victims. To date, they’ve located 13 survivors. In the interim, search teams found six more bodies and recovered three more survivors, thought to be Rohingya. Reports indicate that at least some victims may have drifted all the way to Malaysia’s northern tourist island of Langkawi. This was after their boat capsized off Tarutao Island, in southern Thailand.
The continued escalation is symptomatic of a trend that is making journeys for Rohingya refugees more lethal, as they flee worsening conditions and persecution. Just this year, close to 600 people are known to be missing or dead attempting the same maritime crossings. Even now, as cross-border syndicates take advantage of the desperation of these migrants, the risks of such voyages have escalated sharply.
As of September 2022, there are some 117,670 Rohingya refugees registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Malaysia. The nation faces a complex challenge: balancing humanitarian assistance with concerns over an overwhelming influx of refugees. The tragic events from this recent capsizing serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing struggles faced by the Rohingya community.
