Rohingya deaths off Langkawi raise fears of renewed perilous journeys

Tragedy highlights how humanitarian conditions have worsened: Minister

- Muzliza Mustafa Malaysia Correspondent

A survivor having a meal on Nov 11 after being rescued from a boat carrying Rohingya from Myanmar sank in waters near the Thailand-Malaysia border. Rights groups say intensified fighting and other pressures make the dangerous journeys across the seas almost inevitable. PHOTO: REUTERS

(REUTERS)

The deaths of 28 refugees off Malaysia’s Langkawi Island on Nov 7 have raised fears of renewed Rohingya voyages across the dangerous Andaman Sea, as conflict and aid cuts push more families to flee.

Malaysian officials say 217 Rohingya and other Myanmar nationals have already reached Langkawi this year, a sharp shift after minimal landings over the last two years.

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, who visited Langkawi on Nov 12, said the island remains a popular landing destination for refugees, and the tragedy highlighted how humanitarian conditions have sharply worsened.

“In 2023, only 11 landings were recorded,” he noted.

The vessel carrying dozens of refugees, believed to be from Myanmar, overturned in rough seas before dawn on Nov 7. Fourteen survivors were rescued, and the Thai authorities later retrieved seven bodies from waters near Tarutao Island or Ko Tarutao in southern Thailand, about 10km from Langkawi.

While the authorities continue their search, regional monitors have been warning of unusual movement patterns offshore.

Ms Chris Lewa, director of the Arakan Project, a human rights organisation that has been monitoring Rohingya journeys across the region, said at least 16 boats have left since September. Thirteen were launched from Bangladesh and three from Myanmar, well before the typical sailing season that runs from late October to late April. She warned that it was only just the beginning.

“It is highly unusual to record so many departures this early,’ she told The Straits Times.