One Dead and Dozens missing after Migrant Boat Sinks off Malaysian Coast

Image Credit: Sandor Csudai via University of Nottingham Blogs

On the 9th of November, Malaysian authorities reported the capsizing of a boat carrying an estimated 90 people near the Thailand-Malaysia border. Although ten people have been rescued, dozens remain missing alongside one confirmed death; a Rohingya woman. The boat is believed to have been a part of a larger group of 300 mostly Rohingya migrants fleeing from Myanmar to Malaysia. Those on board are believed to have paid £2,300 for the passage.

The Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic minority, left stateless and unrecognised by Myanmar despite living in Buddhist Myanmar for centuries. Armed attacks against the Rohingya people, starting in 2017, have forced many to flee to other states, including Malaysia. According to Al Jazeera’s Rob McBride, the boat’s maritime route is “well-used” by Rohingya migrants hoping to “start a new life [in Malaysia], where often they will have relatives and acquaintances”. 

Tragedies along this route are not uncommon; December 2021 marked one of the worst months when over 20 migrants drowned near the Malaysian coast. The increasing danger and instability in Myanmar is forcing the Rohingya people to take greater risks, often ending in severe injury or death. 

As of the 9th of November, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) is continuing its rescue operations, searching for survivors in the waters near Tarutao Island.