Myanmar Arrests Nearly 150 People Fleeing Rohingya

Rakhine, MINA – Myanmar authorities arrested nearly 150 Rohingya who allegedly tried to flee the country, an official said on Tuesday, Arab News reported.

The Rohingya, who are mostly Muslim, are considered in Myanmar as infiltrators from Bangladesh. They are denied citizenship and require permission to travel.

The military launched a crackdown on the Rohingya in 2017. Every year, thousands risk their lives to make the perilous journey from camps in Bangladesh and Myanmar to reach Muslim-majority Malaysia and Indonesia.

A total of 127 Rohingya men and 18 women were arrested on Friday near the village of Waekhami in the southern state of Mon.

“They have been detained since then and are being investigated in accordance with immigration laws,” said Aung Myat Kyaw Sein, spokesman for the Mon State Administrative Council.

Myanmar is facing genocide charges at the UN’s top court after a 2017 crackdown, which saw hundreds of thousands flee to Bangladesh.

Last week, a boat carrying about 50 Rohingya ran aground in the sea off the coast of Myanmar. Rescuers have recovered 17 bodies, the rest are still missing.

Bangladesh and Myanmar have discussed efforts to begin repatriating Rohingya refugees, although a senior US human rights envoy said last month conditions were not safe for their return.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government was toppled in a military coup in February 2021, ending its brief period of democracy. (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)