Amnesty International expressed concern on Monday over the worsening plight of Rohingya Muslims both in Myanmar and foreign countries. This comes after a boat carrying 90 Rohingya refugees and migrants reportedly sank near the border between Thailand and Malaysia, with at least 25 people perished.

Amnesty International’s Myanmar Researcher Joe Freeman said:

This latest tragedy at sea in Southeast Asia once again lays bare the deadly risks faced by Rohingya Muslims who attempt to flee conflict and persecution in Myanmar, plus deteriorating conditions in refugee camps in Bangladesh.

Freeman also urged the Malaysian and Thai governments to coordinate humanitarian assistance for the survivors of the tragedy and to refrain from forcibly returning them to Myanmar. He additionally called on the ASEAN leaders to address the long-standing issue of Rohingya boats at sea and the conflict in Myanmar.

Freeman further highlighted other worsening conditions, such as food shortages, forced labour, arbitrary detention, and restrictions on movement, faced by the Rohingya community in Myanmar.

The US funding cuts have further exacerbated the situation of the Rohingya community in Bangladesh camps, with shortages in shelter and education services. These conditions, Freeman said, have led the refugees to resort to the dangerous option of fleeing by boat.

According to Malaysian police, the rescue operation for another two boats, which also reportedly carried Rohingya refugees, is underway. The police have also opened an investigation under Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 against those who have been rescued thus far. It is an offence under Section 6 of the Act to enter Malaysia without a valid permit or entry pass.

This is not an isolated incident, as recently two boats carrying around 300 Rohingya refugees were turned away by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA). Moreover, according to local media, the MMEA has detained 1,333 undocumented migrants off the coast of Langkawi and Kedah between 2020 and October 2025.

Notably, there are 117,670 Rohingya refugees and asylum-seekers registered with the UNHCR in Malaysia as of May. Meanwhile, Malaysia has not ratified the UNHCR Convention, despite calls from the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam).

The government, however, proposed, in February, to review the National Security Council (NSC) Directive No.23 to recognize the refugees’ right to work.

UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration(IOM) have also issued a joint statement, expressing their concern over the latest tragedy and emphasizing the duty of states under international maritime law to protect those in distress at sea.

According to Article 98 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which Malaysia is a party, every coastal state has a duty to provide “adequate and effective search and rescue service” to those imperiled at sea.