More Than 80 Displaced Rohingyas Died In The Boat Accident

Maung Maung 

RB News 

May 15, 2013 

Pauktaw, Arakan- There are 7023 displaced Rohingyas living in the camps of Nget Chaung located nearby the sea of Hantha, Pauktaw Township. Being near to the sea, it is highly dangerous and can easily be affected by the coming cyclone. On 12th May 2013, the head of the township administration and the military officials came to camps and alerted the people about coming storm. 

“Though they issued warnings, they didn’t help displaced Rohingyas in moving to the safer places. They irresponsibly told the displaced Rohingyas to go to wherever they feel safe by their own means” said a displaced Rohingya in Pauktaw. 

Therefore, on 13th May 2013 night, more than 1200 people left the camps of Nget Chaung by six boats. 

“Our people had to leave at night because of the life danger posed by the Rakhine extremists. And a boat sunk nearby a Rakhine village not so long after it had started off” he added. 

According to the displaced Rohingyas in Pauktaw, 43 people escaped alive and two dead bodies were found. Meanwhile, 79 dead bodies have not been found yet. According to the UN Humanitarian Agencies’ statement to Associate Press, 8 dead bodies were recovered, 42 people remained alive and the dead bodies of other 50s have not been found yet. 

A local Rohingya in Pauktaw said “we have done our best to list it in detail” concerning the differences in the accounts of deaths. 

“On 13th and 15th of May, around 4000 displaced Rohingyas arrived to the camps of Sandama (Sin-Tet-Maw). Today, the head of the township administration and the military officials came to the camps screamed at the displaced people that they don’t want to see them (displaced people) any longer and so to go to wherever they (displaced people) wish. We are worried of the coming storm. We need to be afraid of Rakhine extremists. And on the hand, the government is also scaring the people. We are living in an extremely vulnerable situation” he continued. 

The displaced Rohingyas arriving to the camps of Sandama (Sin-Tet-Maw) fall extremely short of food and shelter. The government is telling the world that they are trying to relocate the displaced to Rohingyas to the safer places. In reality, the places where the government wants the displaced Rohingyas to go are more dangerous and unavoidable from the consequences of the storm. Therefore, the displaced Rohingyas are reluctant to such places.

(Translated into English by Maung Aurther)