Bangladesh to turn back boats with hundreds of reportedly starving Rohingya refugees

Description: 

"Bangladesh will not accept two boats carrying hundreds of reportedly starving Rohingya refugees, the country's foreign minister said on Thursday (April 23) as calls grew to rescue the Muslim outcasts. The new controversy over stranded Rohingya blew up just a week after dozens starved to death on a boat that was left at sea for two months before it could land. Activists are fearful that large numbers of Rohingya, a persecuted Muslim minority from mostly Buddhist Myanmar, may be trapped on boats and unable to reach other countries. The two latest boats are in international waters after human traffickers had tried to reach Malaysia, according to aid groups and a Rohingya community leader. Bangladesh has ordered increased patrols in the Bay of Bengal to stop the boats entering, Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen said. "Two boats carrying Rohingya are trying to get into our waters," he said, adding that the vessels could have come from Myanmar's Rakhine state following fighting between the military and rebel groups, or "somewhere else". "Our navy and coastguard are on alert and they have been instructed not to let these boats enter Bangladesh," Momen said..."

Source/publisher: 

"The Straits Times" (Singapore)

Date of Publication: 

2020-04-23

Date of entry: 

2020-04-23

Grouping: 

  • Individual Documents

Category: 

Countries: 

Myanmar, Bangladesh

Administrative areas of Burma/Myanmar: 

Rakhine State

Language: 

English

Resource Type: 

text

Text quality: 

    • Good