At least 150 ethnic Rohingya are stranded in the sea off Thailand, activists said Wednesday, fearing many may have died and urging authorities to rescue survivors.
Every year many Rohingya, members of a Muslim minority, risk their lives to escape persecution and violence in Myanmar and filth in Bangladesh refugee camps. Many try to reach Malaysia.
Deteriorating conditions in the camps and a rise in the number of people attempting the treacherous journey have followed last year’s military coup in Myanmar that brought the army back to power.
Chris Lewa, director of the rights group Arakan Project, said the ship left Bangladesh in late November and sprung up off the coast of Ranong in southern Thailand, citing interviews with relatives of the passengers.