Yangon: An official told AFP on Tuesday that authorities in Myanmar have detained nearly 150 Rohingya who were allegedly trying to flee the country.
The Rohingya, who are primarily Muslims, are perceived in Myanmar as outsiders from Bangladesh. Since their citizenship has been denied, they need authorization to travel.
Following a military crackdown on the Rohingya in 2017, thousands now risk their lives every year by travelling in peril from camps in Bangladesh and Myanmar to Malaysia and Indonesia, countries with a majority of Muslims.
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In southern Mon state, close to the village of Waekhami, 127 Rohingya men and 18 women were detained on Friday.
Aung Myat Kyaw Sein, a spokesperson for the Mon State Administration Council, told AFP that since then, "they have been detained and are the subject of an investigation in accordance with immigration law."
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After a 2017 crackdown that resulted in hundreds of thousands of people fleeing to Bangladesh, Myanmar is now being accused of committing genocide at the highest level of the UN.
A boat carrying about 50 Rohingya people capsized last week in rough seas off the coast of Myanmar. 17 bodies have been found by rescuers, but the others are still missing.
Efforts to start repatriating Rohingya refugees have been discussed between Bangladesh and Myanmar, despite a senior US rights envoy's statement last month that the conditions are not safe for their return.
Since Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government was overthrown by a military coup in February 2021, ending its brief period of democracy, Myanmar has been in chaos.