04 January 2013, KUALA LUMPUR – More undocumented
migrants including Rohingya refugees from Burma are entering Malaysia
via sea route after the outbreak of communal conflicts in Rakhine State.
Due to safety consideration, refugees from various part of Burma tend
to use the land route via Thailand to enter Malaysia but current
development has shown that more are choosing the sea as an alternative.
Rohingyas are known to sail from western Burma to Thailand before
entering Malaysia through jungles and plantations between two countries.
More Rohingyas, however, are doing the direct sail to avoid landing at
Thailand.
Turbulence at Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal, besides lack of food and
drinking water, however proved too hard to be endured and eventually
cost lives.
More than 150 refugees were killed and went missing when two boats
capsized at Bangladesh's water on their journey to Malaysia in October
and November last year.
On Christmas eve, Malaysian maritime enforcer arrested 125
undocumented migrants and another 500 on 30 December, both near to
Langkawi Island, not far from the border with Thailand.
In the incident of 30th December, 500 refugees including children
were forced to jump off from the boat to swim to the nearby shore to
avoid detection. At least one drowned after not being able to finish the
500 meter distance.
Besides receiving refugees, Malaysia also becomes the transit point
for refugees from Afghanistan and Iran who are heading to Australia via
Indonesia.
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