Thailand- Misery at sea: Rohingya boat bounced between countries

(MENAFN- Arab News) KO LIPE THAILAND: The fate of around 300 ethnic Rohingya migrants whose overcrowded trawler has been bounced for days between Thai and Malaysian waters dramatizes the desperate plight of Southeast Asia's new boat-people.
Thousands more migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar are also believed to be at sea in rickety boats and at risk of starvation.
The boat with its miserable rake-thin human cargo was found on Thursday adrift near the southern Thai resort of Ko Lipe.
While the Thai navy gave food and water to the passengers many of whom are women and young children they have since continued to drift with a damaged engine across the sea border with Malaysia seemingly unwanted by either country or by Indonesia.
The boat's location was still unclear on Sunday as rights groups and journalists scoured the sea near the Malaysia border area for signs of it.
But a Thai official speaking on condition of anonymity told AFP the boat was 'believed be in the overlapping sea zone between Malaysia and Indonesia.'
If true it would reflect a new phase in what a rights group has dubbed 'maritime ping pong' between regional neighbors tackling a flood of migrants in recent days.
'This boat represents the lack of response and political will to protect Rohingya refugees and survivors of trafficking' said Amy Smith of Fortify Rights.
Urging regional governments to act as the monsoon season approaches and the sea journey becomes even more treacherous she added.