Arakan News Agency
Malaysian authorities have confirmed the death of at least 11 Rohingya refugees after a wooden boat carrying about 70 passengers sank near the maritime border between Thailand and Malaysia. Rescue teams continue to search for dozens of missing individuals as hopes of finding more survivors diminish.
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency stated that 13 survivors have been rescued so far, most of them Rohingya, while four bodies, including those of two children, were retrieved by Thai authorities. Additionally, seven bodies have been found by Malaysian teams.
The agency added: “It is believed that the boat departed from the Myanmar-Bangladesh border approximately two weeks ago, and some passengers transferred to another vessel days before the sinking.”
Director of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency in Kedah, Romli Mustapha, said: “We have strong coordination with Thai agencies, allowing for rapid information exchange and an expanded search scope.”
Thousands of Rohingya continue to risk their lives at sea to escape persecution and poverty, particularly from the Rakhine State in western Myanmar, which has been plagued by conflict and ethnic violence for years. Safe migration routes are scarce, and many rely on smugglers to reach Malaysia or Indonesia.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, over 5,100 Rohingya have embarked on dangerous sea journeys from January to early November 2025, with reports of about 600 people dead or missing.
On Sunday, Malaysian authorities announced that one person was confirmed dead with dozens still missing after a boat carrying around 90 migrants, mostly Rohingya, sank near the maritime border between Thailand and Malaysia. Rescue teams were able to find 10 survivors, while searches continue for two other boats believed to have carried a similar number of passengers.
This incident reflects the dire situation of the Rohingya, who face death during sea journeys amid numerous similar incidents. This includes the deaths of approximately 427 Rohingya in two tragic incidents off the coast of Myanmar last May, described by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as “the deadliest.”
Additionally, a boat sank off the coast of Teknaf last March, carrying 50 people; Bangladeshi border forces, assisted by fishermen, rescued 25. Furthermore, 73 Rohingya refugees drowned in the Bay of Bengal while their boat was en route to Thailand, as well as the deaths of dozens of Rohingya following their boat capsizing in western Myanmar last November.
