February 22, 2013
UNHCR
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Andrej Mahecic –
to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the press briefing, on 22
February 2013, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
UNHCR is concerned about a rising numbers of deaths in the Indian Ocean
involving people fleeing their countries for safety and better lives
elsewhere. This includes many Rohingya from Myanmar.
Already in 2013, several thousand people are believed to have boarded
smuggler's boats in the Bay of Bengal, among them Rohingya from Rakhine
state or from Bangladesh's refugee camps and makeshift sites. Most are
men, but there are also increasing reports of women and children on
these often-rickety boats making the journey southwards. We estimate
that of the 13,000 people who left on smugglers' boats in 2012, close to
500 died at sea when their boats broke down or capsized. While UNHCR is
still gathering data from 2012 on deaths at sea, it is clear that the
Indian Ocean has become for people fleeing their countries one of the
deadliest stretches of water in the world.
In the latest incident, only a week ago, some 90 people – believed to be
Rohingya – are said to have died of dehydration and starvation during a
journey that lasted almost two months. More than 30 survivors were
rescued from this vessel last weekend by the Sri Lankan navy off Sri
Lanka's east coast. Earlier in February, around 130 people reportedly
originating from Myanmar and Bangladesh – were also rescued at sea by
the Sri Lankan navy. We are seeking independent access to the survivors
to assess their situation and needs.
UNHCR is greatly saddened by this latest terrible ordeal, and commends
the quick action of the Sri Lankan navy in rescuing this group and
providing immediate medical attention. UNHCR is ready to support the Sri
Lankan authorities in assisting any among them who are in need of
international protection.
Violence in western Myanmar's Rakhine state erupted last June between
different communities there. Since then some 115,000 people – the
majority of them Rohingya – have been uprooted. Most continue to be
internally displaced within Rakhine state, but others have resorted to
smugglers to flee their country.
About 1,700 people have arrived in recent months on the southern coast
of Thailand, where the Royal Thai Government has granted them six months
of temporary protection until solutions can be found. UNHCR teams are
talking to the men, who are held in detention facilities, and to the
women and children who are in government-run shelters, to assess their
situations.
In addition to those who have landed in Thailand, an estimated 1,800
people have arrived in Malaysia since the start of the year. When
notified, UNHCR intervenes to secure their release from detention and
seeks access to assess their protection needs.
UNHCR recognizes the regional dimension of the irregular movements of
refugees, asylum seekers and migrants by sea. Genuine cooperative
regional approaches that promote sharing of burdens and responsibility
could offer asylum seekers and refugees an alternative to dangerous and
exploitative boat journeys. UNHCR offers its expertise and good offices
to play a constructive role in this process.
Repeated tragedies at sea also demonstrate the need for a coordinated
regional response to distress and rescue at sea. We urge States to agree
protocols for the safe and quick disembarkation of rescued passengers
and the provision of urgent humanitarian assistance. Mechanisms must be
in place to assess the needs of and solutions for different groups,
including access to UNHCR for those in need of international
protection.
To help move this process forward, UNHCR is facilitating discussions
between interested governments and international organizations at a
regional meeting on irregular movements by sea to be held in Jakarta in
March.
Amid continuing news reports of boats being pushed back to sea by some
countries, UNHCR also urges States in the region to keep their borders
open to people in need of international protection, to uphold the
principle of non-refoulement and to offer them temporary assistance and
protection until durable solutions can be found.
In parallel, UNHCR has been advocating with the Myanmar government to
urgently address the root causes of the outflow. The Rohingya are not
recognized as citizens of Myanmar and face many restrictions in their
daily lives in Rakhine state. To resolve the problem, we encourage the
government to commit to promoting reconciliation and peaceful
co-existence as well as economic development in Rakhine state, pursue
practical measures to ensure basic rights so that the Rohingya can lead
normal lives where they are, and eventually grant them access to
citizenship
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