An estimated 530 Rohingya asylum seekers have vanished after departing Myanmar's Rakhine state on June 29. Two boats carrying the passengers have not been heard from since, prompting fears they capsized in rough seas during the monsoon season.
Chris Lewa, who leads the Arakan Project, a Rohingya advocacy group, is attempting to piece together the events. She confirmed that two boats departed from Sin Tet Maw, a village in the Arakan Army-controlled region, on June 29. One boat left in the morning, and the other departed later in the day.
Normally, families would expect to hear from their relatives within a week or 10 days of departure. Nearly three weeks later, no contact has been made.
The boats were reportedly heading for the southern coast of Myanmar, intending to transfer their passengers to smaller vessels for land transport through Thailand to the Malaysian border. This route is commonly used by Rohingya seeking to escape overcrowded camps in Bangladesh, where aid and job opportunities are scarce.
Authorities in Bangladesh recovered the body of one woman washed ashore. Nine days after the boats' departure, fishermen working between Myanmar's Irrawaddy delta and the coast of Mon state found several other bodies. Lewa believes these findings suggest the boats capsized, with one sinking several hours after leaving port and the other after several days at sea.
Rakhine state has been experiencing conflict, with the Arakan Army driving out the Myanmar military from most areas and laying siege to the state capital, Sittwe. Communications have been severely disrupted, making it difficult to gather information.
The Rohingya, a Muslim minority group, have faced persecution in Myanmar for decades. Over a million Rohingya live in overcrowded camps in southern Bangladesh, with limited access to resources and employment, and are not permitted to leave.
Mental health and psychosocial support experts highlight the profound grief and uncertainty faced by the families of those missing, as the lack of definitive information prolongs their suffering. The dangerous sea journeys are often undertaken as a last resort due to dire conditions in refugee camps and ongoing persecution in their homeland.