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A fishing vessel carrying over 100 refugees fleeing from Myanmar, including approximately 25 children, arrived at the Mullivaikkal coast this morning.
The vessel, carrying refugees was forced to steer towards the Mullivaikkal cost due to a critical shortage of food and water, leaving its passengers in dire conditions.
Local Tamil fishermen preparing to go to sea were the first to spot the distressed boat and alerted authorities.
“We were getting ready to go to sea in the morning when the boat came ashore,” said Mullivaikkal Fishermen’s Association President, Arumugan Sivaneshwaram. “The passengers were starving and helpless. We informed the authorities and gave them food and water as much as we could.”
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The refugees, believed to include members of the Rohingya people who have been fleeing persecution in Myanmar, appeared severely weakened. Two fishermen who approached the vessel said, “We suspect that Rohingya from Myanmar are on this boat”.
“There are over 100 people, including more than 25 children. The children ate the food we gave them, but the adults didn’t eat. Some people were lying unconscious inside the boat. We couldn’t understand their language.”
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The Sri Lankan Navy and police confirmed that they are providing essential supplies to the refugees and assessing the next steps regarding the vessel and its passengers. Navy Media Spokesperson Captain Gayan Wickramasuriya stated that efforts are underway to collect information about the group and their circumstances.
The Rohingya has faced decades of persecution, including state-sponsored violence, denial of citizenship, and displacement. Since 2017, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled Myanmar to escape military crackdowns, often risking their lives on treacherous sea journeys in search of safety.