A Ship Bound For Malaysia Crashed Ashore, Deaths Reported And More Than 200 Arrested

RB News 

November 1, 2013 

Maungdaw, Arakan – A ship bound for Malaysia crashed ashore near the coast of Jintaw village, Myin Hlut village tract in Maungdaw Township of Arakan State on October 30, 2013 at 9pm. 

The authorities, Army, Hlun Htaine, Special Branch Human Trafficking Prevention Group, SaRaPha (Military Security Personnel), Village Tract Administrators and their representatives have all been organizing local Rohingyas from Ma Kyee Chaung to Myin Hlut village and have been transporting them to the large fishing ships by small boats since last week. 

There were three ships (large fishing boats from Thailand) on standby in the Bay of Bengal and the three ships tried to get passengers on a ship that was carrying more than 680 passengers bound for Malaysia. The ship crashed ashore near the coast of Jintaw village. Two hours later a Myanmar Navy ship came and arrested more than 200 people. A villager from Pa Nyaung Bin Gyi village, who was on the ship, told RB News that some of the passengers managed to escape but many died because they couldn’t swim. The naval vessel on the scene was Myanmar Navy ship no. 913 and the captain of the ship was Major Aung Aung. 

The local authorities from Maungdaw went to see the ship in the morning on October 31, 2013 but the local residents said they were planning to report to higher authorities that an empty ship was ashore without passengers. 

The representatives of human traffickers are Myin Hlut village ex-chairman Enayet Ullah, Japu S/o Hashim, Sein Ta Lone (aka) Hashim, Hamid Hussein, Rafique S/o Yasin from Thayay Kone Tan village, Musawleak S/o Diluu from Pa Nyaung Bin Gyi village and they led the organizing and transporting of the passengers. 

The local Rohingyas remain very concerned over the fate of 200+ people who were arrested by Myanmar Navy ship.