More than 500 Rohingya asylum seekers are feared to have drowned after two boats, carrying an estimated 530 people, vanished at sea since departing Myanmar's Rakhine state on 29 June. The vessels, believed to be old fishing trawlers converted for human cargo, are thought to have capsized in the rough monsoon seas, leaving little hope for survivors.
Chris Lewa, who leads the Arakan Project, an organisation dedicated to improving the welfare of Rohingyas, has been working to ascertain the fate of the two boats. Despite significant challenges in communication due to the ongoing conflict in Rakhine State, including severed telecommunications, Ms Lewa is confident both boats left Sin Tet Maw on the specified date, heading towards Myanmar's southern coast. The typical journey involves disembarking onto smaller boats, then overland travel through Thailand to the Malaysian border. Families usually expect contact within a week to ten days, but nearly three weeks on, there has been no word.
Evidence supporting the capsizing theory includes the recovery of a woman's body by Bangladeshi authorities and several other bodies found by fishermen operating between the Irrawaddy delta and Mon state coast. These grim discoveries suggest one boat may have capsized hours after departure, and the other after several days at sea. The perilous conditions are exacerbated by the monsoon season, making such voyages incredibly dangerous for overloaded and poorly maintained vessels.
The desperate situation for Rohingyas in both Myanmar and Bangladesh fuels these risky journeys. In Bangladesh, over a million Rohingyas live in overcrowded camps with dwindling aid, scarce employment, and rampant organised crime. Within Myanmar's Rakhine State, an estimated 600,000 Rohingyas face forced conscription by the military junta and alleged human rights violations from the Arakan Army. With prospects so dire, seeking refuge in other countries, particularly Malaysia where a significant Rohingya community already resides, becomes their only perceived option.
This desperation has created a lucrative network for people smugglers operating across Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Their business model involves packing as many individuals as possible onto unseaworthy boats and demanding fees ranging from approximately £1,500 to £3,000 per person. Disturbingly, those whose families fail to pay face detention and abuse, with videos of their suffering reportedly sent to relatives to extort payments. This tragic incident underscores the brutal reality of human trafficking routes, which, despite evolving over the years, continue to claim countless lives.