Authorities said on Monday that at least 11 people have been confirmed dead after a boat carrying members of Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya community capsized near the Thailand-Malaysia maritime border, with around 70 people believed to have been on board.
Malaysia’s maritime agency reported finding seven bodies, while Thai authorities recovered four more, including two children. Another vessel carrying about 230 passengers remains unaccounted for, although 13 survivors mostly Rohingya have been rescued so far.
The Rohingya, a Muslim minority long persecuted in Myanmar, continue to flee violence and worsening conditions in refugee camps in Bangladesh, often embarking on perilous sea journeys toward Malaysia and Indonesia in search of safety and better livelihoods.
Ongoing Search Efforts
Malaysia’s maritime agency said air assets from both countries were being deployed to assist in the search and rescue operations near the island of Langkawi. “We have very good communication and exchanges of information with the Thai agency,” said Romli Mustafa, director of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) for Kedah and Perlis states.
He added that the search operation could continue for up to seven days. According to information received by the agency, one of the boats departed from Myanmar’s border region with Bangladesh about two weeks ago, with some passengers transferring to another vessel last Thursday. Of the 13 survivors rescued so far, 11 are Rohingya and two are Bangladeshi.
Perilous Voyages Continue
More than 5,100 Rohingya have attempted to flee Myanmar and Bangladesh by sea between January and early November 2025, with nearly 600 people reported dead or missing, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
An official from Thailand’s maritime enforcement command centre confirmed that the bodies of two women and two children were among those recovered, and that two of the victims carried refugee cards identifying them as Rohingya.
Myanmar’s Rakhine State has been wracked by conflict and deprivation for years, with the Rohingya facing severe restrictions on movement, education, and employment. Following a brutal military crackdown in 2017, about 1.3 million Rohingya fled to neighbouring Bangladesh, where many now live in overcrowded refugee camps.
