The United States on Wednesday voiced fears for the lives of the hundreds of migrants abandoned by traffickers at land and sea, calling on Southeast Asian nations to co-operate to address the crisis. Waves of Bangladeshis and Myanmar Rohingyas have fled poverty and persecution in rickety boats across the Bay of Bengal at the hands of people traffickers running a thriving and lucrative regional smuggling network.
In the last fortnight thousands of desperate migrants have been abandoned by smugglers, some in remote jungle camps and others aboard boats, following a recent crackdown against the trade by Thailand. Most migrants were making the journey “because of the dire humanitarian and economic situations they face at home and/or out of fear of ethnic and religious violence,” a spokeswoman at the US Embassy told AFP.
“This is a regional challenge that needs to be addressed regionally, through a coordinated international effort and in accordance with international conventions and maritime law,” she added. Thailand has called for a regional summit later this month to address the crisis, but many observers fear any response could come too late for those currently stranded at sea. So far South East Asian nations have shown little appetite to provide sanctuary for migrants abandoned on boats or launch a co-ordinated search and rescue effort to locate them.