Geneva [Switzerland], July 17: More than 500 refugees are missing off the coast of Myanmar after the possible capsize of two migrant boats, according to two UN organizations.
The boats set off from Myanmar's coast in recent days, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UNHCR refugee agency said on Thursday. One boat carrying around 250 people is said to have sunk on July 8 while contact with a second boat with about 280 people was lost shortly after departure. An IOM spokesman said there were no reports of survivors.
The information about the boats had come from affected families, news websites, and aid groups that UN organizations consider credible.
The refugees were apparently mostly Rohingya, members of the Muslim minority that have suffered persecution for decades in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar. They are also said to include people from the huge Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh.
Source: Qatar Tribune