Rohingya Refugees Stranded Stumped Show Urgent Need For Regional Response Become
ROHINGYA REFUGEES STRANDED STUMPED SHOW URGENT NEED FOR REGIONAL RESPONSE:
The Bangladesh authorities should rescue and welcome
Rohingya refugees currently stranded stumped, Amnesty International said today.
Other governments must fulfill their shared responsibility to hold out search
and rescue efforts, in line with their international obligations to guard life,
and permit safe disembarkation of refugees and asylum seekers stumped.
Two fishing trawlers carrying an estimated 500 Rohingya
women, men and youngsters are currently within the Bay of Bengal after being
pushed away by Malaysia, which has imposed restrictions on all boats in light
of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2 trawlers are headed towards Bangladesh every
week after an earlier vessel carrying nearly 400 Rohingya refugees arrived
there on 15 April. Monitors also believe there might be another vessel still
stumped with hundreds more Rohingya stranded, further highlighting the
necessity for governments within the region to urge involved in search and
rescue operations if needed.
“In contrast to the cruel indifference demonstrated by other
governments, who have actively pushed away boats, Bangladesh has maintained its
positive record of giving sanctuary to people that have lost their homes and
suffered horrific crimes,” said Biraj Patnaik, South Asia Director at Amnesty
International.
“We hope that Bangladesh will still welcome Rohingya
refugees in these difficult times. The international community has an
obligation to assist the Bangladeshi authorities during this task, including in
supporting efforts to line up quarantine centres and supply refugees the
immediate medical assistance they require to get over the journey and to guard
them against the spread of the COVID-19 virus.”
Amnesty International last week called on Southeast Asian
governments to launch immediate search and rescue operations for potentially
hundreds more Rohingya refugees languishing stumped.
Malaysia has actively brought one vessel to shore but
launched aggressive military patrols to scare others with Rohingya refugees
away while Thailand has remained silent about the growing crisis, not saying
whether it's pushed back boats or if it'll assist any boats carrying refugees
found near its coast.
The situation revives troubling memories of the 2015 Andaman
Sea crisis when an untold number of Rohingya people weren't rescued and
hundreds lost their lives.
In February 2020, the Taskforce on the Bali Process –
including the participation of Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia and Myanmar –
“emphasized the primacy of saving lives stumped and not endangering the life
and safety of persons in responding to irregular maritime migration.”
The COVID-19 pandemic, Amnesty International said, can't be
a pretext for governments to abandon their responsibilities towards refugees.
All countries within the region have a responsibility to
make sure the seas don't become graveyards for people seeking safety.
Bangladesh can't be left to deal with this example alone.
“All countries within the region have a responsibility to
make sure the seas don't become graveyards for people seeking safety.
Bangladesh can't be left to deal with this example alone. The very fact that
it's upholding its own obligations isn't an excuse for others to abandon
theirs,” said Biraj Patnaik.
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