Burma

MOAS to to scan for Rohingya refugees in Southeast Asia

cde.news desk 7 April 2018, 04:13 · 1 min read

MY Phoenix in the Mediterranean Sea. Source: Matthew Willcocks/ MOAS

The Asian Correspondent reports that MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Station) has announced it will deploy its search and rescue vessel MY Phoenix to the Andaman Sea for a one-month observation mission, as more boats carrying Rohingya refugees from Burma (Myanmar) are expected to head for Southeast Asia.

Malaysian authorities on Tuesday intercepted a boat carrying 56 Rohingya Muslim refugees from Burma off the northern island of Langkawi, with rights groups predicting a further wave of boats during the months seas are calmer.

“How can we sit back as people risk their lives and the lives of their loved ones to escape what the UN has described as ethnic cleansing?” said MOAS Cofounder and Director Regina Catrambone in a statement.