Arakan News Agency
On Wednesday, Malaysian authorities charged 11 survivors of a boat sinking incident that occurred two weeks ago near Langkawi with illegal entry, even though they were unable to understand the charges during the court session, according to the Langkawi police.
The accused, nine Rohingya and two Bangladeshis, were among 14 people rescued after a boat carrying around 70 migrants, mostly Rohingya, capsized on November 6 near the Malaysian maritime border. The incident resulted in the deaths of at least 36 people, while authorities have halted search operations for additional survivors.
According to the SCMP website, the police stated that the ages of the accused range from 17 to 43 years, and the court postponed the case to December 21 to arrange translators. They noted that if convicted, the accused could face a fine of up to $2,400, imprisonment for up to five years, or both, in addition to up to six lashes.
Last Monday, Malaysian authorities announced the end of search operations for migrants who went missing after their boat sank off the Thai-Malaysian coast, following the recovery of 36 bodies and the rescue of 14 survivors, most of them Rohingya. The group had been en route to Malaysia when the boat capsized near Thailand’s Tarutao Island.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) expressed deep sorrow over the sinking of a boat carrying around 70 people, mostly Rohingya, off the coasts of Malaysia and Thailand. The incident resulted in at least 21 deaths, while 13 people were rescued, and the fate of the remaining passengers remains unknown.
This incident reflects the dire situation faced by the Rohingya, who risk death on maritime journeys amid numerous similar tragedies. Around 427 Rohingya died in two separate tragic incidents off the coast of Myanmar in May, described by the UNHCR as “the deadliest.”
Additionally, a boat sank off the coast of Teknaf in March, carrying 50 people, 25 of whom were rescued by the Bangladesh Coast Guard with the help of local fishermen. Seventy-three Rohingya refugees drowned in the Bay of Bengal while en route to Thailand, and dozens more died when their boat capsized off western Myanmar last November.
