Junta navy officials have arrested 226 Rohingya fleeing Myanmar by boat since Oct. 27 in 3 different cases, Radio Free Asia reported, adding that they were attempting to escape to Malaysia and Thailand.
In relation to the three cases, police arrested six more people, including boat owners, crew members and a broker.
Rohingya regularly leave by boat for neighboring countries because it is more difficult for them to survive in Rakhine state, one Rohingya refugee told RFA.
“Job scarcity and unemployment” are among the reasons for the attempted escapes, as well as lack of freedom. “And people are leaving because the resentment is growing day by day,” refugees noted.
They are trying to leave by paying brokers up to 10 million kyats (US$4,762) per person, they added.
Rohingya are often arrested by the Myanmar navy while leaving on boats, but about half of them make it to the destination, some refugees remarked.
