Indonesian rescue at sea of Rohingya refugees is a reminder of an ordeal that began in Myanmar

BANGKOK (AP) — A dramatic story of survival and rescue off the western coast of Indonesia’s Aceh province has put the spotlight again on the plight of ethnic Rohingya Muslim refugees from Myanmar who make extremely dangerous voyages across the Indian Ocean to seek better lives.

Desperate survivors were pulled to safety from their capsized boat by local fishermen on Thursday, after a yet-unknown number perished.

For Rohingya refugees living in squalid refugee camps in Bangladesh, escaping across the seas might seem like a good option — but it’s often a deadly one. The U.N. estimates that as many as one in eight people die or disappear in the attempt.

The U.N. refugee agency said in January that of 4,500 Rohingyas embarking on sea journeys last year in Southeast Asian waters, 569 were reported dead or missing.

ROOTS OF DISPLACEMENT

Members of the Muslim Rohingya ethnic minority have long been considered by Myanmar’s Buddhist majority to be illegal settlers from Bangladesh, even though many of their families lived in Myanmar for generations. Aside from social discrimination, nearly all have been denied citizenship since 1982, effectively rendering them stateless, and have been denied freedom of movement and other basic rights.

In August 2017, Myanmar’s military launched what it called a clearance campaign in northern Rakhine State in response to attacks by a shadowy Rohingya insurgent group. The counterinsurgency action forced about 740,000 Rohingya to flee to neighboring Bangladesh and led to accusations that security forces committed mass rapes, killings and burned thousands of homes. International courts are now considering whether the campaign amounted to genocide.

There are now about 1 million Rohingya residing in refugee