Missing Rohingya After Boat Disappearances
Families in refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar are searching for news of missing relatives after two boats reportedly carrying more than 500 people, mostly Rohingya, disappeared after leaving Myanmar.
Footage filmed at the camps on Friday shows the father of a young man missing at sea holding a mobile phone displaying his son’s photograph.
The missing man’s brother, Zahid Huson, said the family was contacted by a middleman who had arranged the journey.
“A middleman told us your brother has set off on the journey to Malaysia; please pray for him. Four or five days later, the same man called again, saying the boat your brother was on had sunk in the sea,” the man said.
Dangerous Sea Journey
One boat, believed to have been carrying around 250 people, lost contact shortly after leaving Rakhine State in late June. A second vessel, reportedly carrying around 280 passengers, is believed to have sunk off Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady coast on July 8.
Most of the passengers were ethnic Rohingya from Rakhine State. Some had travelled from refugee camps in Bangladesh to join the crossing.
Soyodullah, Former Acting President of the United Council of Rohingya, said fading hopes of returning home were pushing more people towards the dangerous journeys, despite unsuitable boats and hazardous weather.
Calls For Urgent Action
“If we do not coordinate properly with the authorities and relevant actors, this will not end,” he noted, adding, “There could be a regional effect, and when it affects the region, it not only affects the Rohingya but also other communities in Southeast Asia. Everyone needs to find a quick solution.”
“It is not easy to stop this in one day. It can be addressed slowly, and there must be proper coordination between Rohingya human rights activists working to stop trafficking and government authorities,” he added.
UN agencies say nearly 300 Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals are believed to be dead or missing in the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal so far this year. They called for stronger search-and-rescue operations and coordinated action against smuggling and trafficking networks.
Article by Viory
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