At least 14 Rohingya refugees were killed when the boat carrying them away from violence in Myanmar capsized off the southern tip of Bangladesh late last night. Most of the victims were children.
According to Bangladeshi police, the boat was carrying between 60 and 100 a refugees from Myanmar to Bangladesh when it sank in rough waters near Shah Porir Island. The bodies of 11 children, one man, and two women have been recovered so far. Thirteen people have been rescued, and others are thought to have swum to shore.
Survivors said they were forced to flee Myanmar because restrictions on movement imposed by the Myanmar military have cut off Rohingya communities from work and markets, threatening them with starvation.
Thousands of Rohingya have fled Myanmar on boats belonging to Bangladeshi fishermen since violence erupted in Rakhine State in late August. Though the Myanmar military claims to be conducting counter-terrorism operations against the Rohingya insurgent group ARSA, reports of violence against Rohingya civilians are common among the 519,000 refugees who have fled to Bangladesh since August 25.
The Myanmar military and government have closed off the conflict zone to journalists and human rights investigators while they claim the violence perpetrated against the Rohingya has largely been self-inflicted.
Although the Myanmar government has claimed that no clashes have taken place in Rakhine State since September 5, reports of violence and deprivation continue to be collected from Rohingya refugees, who are still pouring over the border.
Dozens of refugees have fallen victim to the perilous journey to Bangladesh. On September 28, a boat carrying around 80 refugees overturned, and only 17 people survived.
Earlier that month, another boat sank between Myanmar and Bangladesh, killing at least 46 people, 19 of whom were children.
Despite the danger, some Rohingya refugees have been paying Bangladeshi fishermen as much as US$250 for the two-hour journey to Bangladesh, which normally costs no more than $5.
Last week, Bangladeshi border guards destroyed dozens of private fishing boats to prevent their owners from smuggling refugees and methamphetamine tablets across the border from Myanmar.
Reader Interactions