Fifty-nine Rohingya refugees were discovered on a Thai island on Sunday, claiming they were abandoned by traffickers en route to Malaysia, according to a senior police officer.
On Saturday, the group — which included five youngsters — was discovered on Koh Dong island in southern Satun province, according to lieutenant general Surachet Hakpan.
Thousands of primarily Muslim Rohingya people, who are persecuted in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, risk their lives every year on months-long, expensive treks over Thailand’s seas to reach Malaysia.
According to police, they were charged with illegal entry and could be deported to Myanmar if the matter goes to court.
“We’re offering humanitarian help and will look into whether they’re victims of human trafficking or illegal immigrants,” Surachet said.
According to a police statement, the gang appeared “starving” and “was believed to have gone without food for three to five days.”
Officers learned that their boat was one of three that had departed Myanmar and Bangladesh, transporting 178 individuals who had paid an agency about 5,000 ringgit ($1,300) for the trip.
According to the Thai police statement, Malaysian officials halted the first two boats carrying 119 passengers and arrested them.
The boat’s crew then opted to ditch people on board on Koh Dong island, claiming they had arrived in Malaysia, according to the group.
Following their attempt to flee Myanmar, the dead of 14 Rohingya refugees, including children, were discovered washed up on a beach last month.
Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees fled the country in 2017 after a military crackdown, carrying horrific stories of murder, rape, and burning with them.
Those who remain in Myanmar are often seen as Bangladeshi squatters who have been denied citizenship, basic rights, and access to healthcare and education.
Muslim-majority Malaysia is a popular destination for Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar’s persecution or Bangladesh’s refugee camps.
