Malaysian coastguard doubles patrols to locate undocumented Myanmar migrants

Malaysia’s coastguard is increasing patrols to locate boats carrying undocumented Myanmar migrants, after the detention of 196 migrants in the early hours of Friday on an island in the state of Kedah, as per reports.

Based on information the coastguard received, there are a couple more boats carrying undocumented Myanmar migrants at sea but their exact location remains unidentified at the moment, the coastguard said in a statement.

Earlier today, local English daily The Star reported that 200 Rohingya refugees had come ashore. The Rohingya are a mainly Muslim minority in the majority Buddhist Myanmar. Nonetheless, the coastguard did not specify if the migrants are Rohingya.

Nearly one million Rohingya refugees have fled the country to escape an alleged Myanmar military campaign launched in 2017. The UN experts are describing this as a textboMalaysian coastguard doubles patrols to locate undocumented Myanmar migrantsok example of ethnic cleansing. But Myanmar’s military rulers are denying the allegations.

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