Navy says 104 folks discovered on board a trawler suspected to have originated from Myanmar and heading to Indonesia.
Sri Lanka’s navy has rescued 104 Rohingya adrift off the Indian Ocean island nation’s northern coast, an official stated.
Tens of 1000’s of primarily Muslim Rohingya undergo hardships in cramped refugee camps in Bangladesh after they escaped violence by the Myanmar navy. The United Nations stated the navy operation was performed with a “genocidal intent” and it was investigating Myanmar officers.
Many Rohingya in Bangladesh and Myanmar threat their lives yearly by making an attempt to succeed in Southeast Asian international locations similar to Malaysia and Indonesia on rickety vessels. Their numbers have surged following deteriorating situations within the camps and final yr’s navy coup in Myanmar.
The boat was first detected by the Sri Lanka navy when it was 3.5 nautical miles (6.5km) from the shore.
A search and rescue operation was launched to finally tow the vessel to the island nation’s northern harbour on Sunday night time, navy spokesman Captain Gayan Wickramasuriya stated.
“The folks have been handed over to the police,” Wickramasuriya informed Reuters information company. “The police will current them earlier than a Justice of the Peace who will resolve the following step.”
A navy assertion stated 104 Myanmar nationals had been discovered on board the small trawler suspected to have originated from Myanmar and was heading to Indonesia when it bumped into engine hassle in tough seas.
Wickramasuriya stated 39 girls and 23 minors had been among the many rescued folks. An 80-year-old man, in addition to a lady and her two kids, all affected by minor illness, had been admitted to hospital.
In 2017, greater than 730,000 Rohingya fled to neighbouring Bangladesh following the Myanmar navy crackdown that witnesses stated included mass killings and rape.
Myanmar authorities say they had been battling an armed rise up and deny finishing up systematic atrocities. However rights teams and media have documented killings of civilians and the burning of villages throughout the crackdown.