Sydney, July 14: The United Nations refugee agency is investigating reports that two boats carrying members of Myanmar’s persecuted Rohingya minority have capsized in the Bay of Bengal. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees said in a statement Tuesday that the boats reportedly departed Myanmar’s western state of Rakhine in late June before sinking.
“We are deeply concerned by the potential loss of life and are working to verify further details,” the UNHCR said. The agency declined to release additional details, including how many Rohingya were believed to be on board or the approximate location where the boats sank.
Around 1.2 million stateless, predominantly Muslim Rohingya remain trapped in squalid, overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh after fleeing waves of violence by Myanmar’s security forces.
The refugees have no way to safely return to Myanmar. (AP)
