Boat carrying Rohingya refugees breaks up off Myanmar, killing at least 17

Rescuers reported on Thursday that at least 17 people drowned when a boat carrying Rohingya migrants fleeing Myanmar's Rakhine province capsized at sea this week.

According to Byar La, a rescuer with the Shwe Yaung Metta Foundation, "we found 17 dead bodies... as of yesterday," and "about 30 more people are unaccounted for."

The ill-fated vessel was en route to Malaysia, attempting to provide sanctuary for the fleeing refugees, when it encountered treacherous waters on Sunday night. Byar La, a member of the Shwe Yaung Metta Foundation in Sittwe, reported the grim situation on Thursday, revealing that over 50 individuals were believed to be aboard the boat. "Our search has led to the recovery of 17 bodies... until yesterday," he disclosed.

Among the survivors were eight men, who are now under police investigation for more insights into the incident. Rescuers are tirelessly working to locate those still unaccounted for, even though the exact count of passengers remains uncertain.

Year after year, thousands of Rohingya people risk their lives in a perilous quest for better lives. This involves hazardous sea journeys from both Myanmar and refugee camps in Bangladesh, with the ultimate destination being the Muslim-majority countries of Malaysia and Indonesia.

Rakhine, a region within predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, hosts around 600,000 Rohingya Muslims, who are classified as migrants from neighboring Bangladesh. They face significant challenges as they are denied citizenship and freedom of movement in the region.

The Rohingya crisis escalated in 2017 due to a severe military crackdown that led to the exodus of approximately 750,000 Rohingya individuals from Rakhine to Bangladesh. Reports of widespread atrocities, including murder, arson, and sexual violence, prompted this mass displacement, shedding light on a grave humanitarian crisis.