The
UN refugee agency has expressed concern as Rohingyas are fleeing both
Myanmar and Bangladesh in large numbers risking their lives on
smugglers' boats in the Bay of Bengal following the recent violence
in Myanmar's Rakhine state.
Mounting
frustration over lack of imminent solutions to the plight of
Rohingyas is another reason for the exodus towards Southeast Asian
countries, said a report of the UNHCR published on its website on
January 11.
Just one week into the New Year, UNHCR has had reports that more than 2,000 people have left northern Rakhine state and Bangladesh on big boats run by smuggling rings, the report added.
Their
final destination however remains uncertain, although they are
believed to be heading to other countries in Southeast Asia.
These
most recent reports add to what is already thought to be a record
number of people who have reportedly made the dangerous journey in
recent months.
Last
year, an estimated 13,000 people headed into the Bay of Bengal on
smugglers' boats.
Among
them are Muslims from Rakhine state, long-staying refugees in
Bangladesh and Bangladeshis.
Most
appear to be men travelling alone, but there are believed to be
increasing numbers of women and children – often an indicator of
growing desperation and lack of prospects.
At
least 485 people are believed to have died or remain missing in four
reported boat accidents in the Bay of Bengal last year. The real
death toll could be much higher.
There
are unconfirmed reports in the media that smuggled passengers who
make it to land are increasingly being detained by smugglers'
networks on the Thailand-Malaysia border.
The
smugglers make their passengers call relatives in Bangladesh to
demand money for the rest of the journey. If payment is not made, the
passengers typically face being sold to trafficking networks as
bonded labourers on fishing boats until they can pay off their debts.
It
is unclear how many actually make it to their final destinations,
where they often risk arrest, detention and possible forced return to
Myanmar.
UNHCR
continues to seek access to individuals arriving by boat who are
arrested and detained by government authorities.
"In
Thailand, we have asked for access to newly-arrived people from
Myanmar and are awaiting a response from the authorities.
In
Malaysia, UNHCR systematically requests and is typically granted
access to individuals arriving by boat. Our office there is
eventually able to secure their release from detention if they are
deemed to be people of concern to UNHCR," a spokesman for the
refugee agency said.
UNHCR
fears that more people could take the dangerous sea voyage, driven by
desperation after inter-communal violence broke out in Rakhine state
in June and October last year. Some 1,15,000 people remain displaced
within the state.
In
neighbouring Bangladesh, there is also a growing sense of
hopelessness among the refugees who have fled from Myanmar since the
early 1990s.
Some
30,000 refugees are hosted in two official camps while a larger
number of Muslims from Rakhine are living in squalid makeshift sites
and among the local communities.
"This
growing boatpeople crisis calls for regional approaches and
solutions. UNHCR encourages the government of Myanmar to intensify
measures to address some of the main push factors," the
spokesman said, adding that this included "the lack of
sustainable development and the resulting widespread poverty, the
lack of rights for an important part of the population and
recognition of the economic interdependence of all communities in
Rakhine state."
At
the same time, UNHCR is urging countries in the region to maintain
open borders and ensure humane treatment and access by UNHCR to
people seeking asylum.
UNHCR
stands ready to support states in assisting people in need of
international protection. UNHCR also appeals to sea captains to
continue the long tradition of rescue at sea for boats that are in
distress.
In
March, UNHCR will co-organise a regional roundtable on irregular
maritime movements in the Asia-Pacific, bringing together
governments, relevant organisations and other stakeholders to discuss
practical regional approaches to the problem.
It
is hoped that the forum will serve as a launching pad for concrete
actions by states in the region to enhance regional dialogue and
improve responses to irregular maritime movements.
Source
The Daily Star:
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