‘Mass casualties’ within the Eastern Andaman Sea Unless Thailand and Others Meet Obligations

By Astrid Zweynert

LONDON, May 15 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia ought to fulfil their obligations underneath worldwide maritime regulation by rescuing hundreds of migrants adrift at sea and avoiding “mass casualties”, transport specialists mentioned on Friday.

Thousands of largely Rohingya Muslims fleeing persecution in Myanmar and others escaping poverty in Bangladesh are stranded on boats as governments within the area search to forestall them from touchdown, regardless of a request by the United Nations to rescue them.

“We will have mass casualties on our hands if there is not an immediate and concerted search-and-rescue operation by countries in the region,” mentioned David Hammond, a maritime regulation knowledgeable and founding father of charity Human Rights At Sea.

The migrants have been at sea in rickety boats for weeks with little water and meals following a crackdown by the Thai authorities on human trafficking.

“Turning these vulnerable people away because of political concerns that they may wish to seek refugee status is unacceptable and violates the obligation of governments to help people in distress at sea,” Hammond instructed the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), which represents the worldwide transport business, mentioned service provider ships in addition to governments have a humanitarian obligation enshrined in worldwide maritime regulation and conventions to assist individuals in misery at sea.

“It’s a well-honoured maritime tradition for ships to rescue anyone in distress at sea but coastal states also have an obligation to come to the rescue, and we expect them to honour this, including taking migrants ashore,” ICS spokesman Simon Bennett instructed the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

OPEN TO INTERPRETATION?

As members of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia are obliged to work collectively so these rescued attain a spot of security as quickly as potential.

But the precise phrases of such obligations are a gray space as a result of they don’t clearly outline what governments ought to do to assist migrants adrift within the sea.

“The regulations are worded very carefully in order not to be too prescriptive,” a spokeswoman for the IMO, an company of the United Nations, instructed the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

“They state that there should be cooperation and coordination but without specifying precisely what needs to be done. That … does mean it’s open to interpretation.”

However, Hammond mentioned the case was clear.

“Someone who is at sea, has no food and has put people at notice that they are in trouble within the sight of land, I would say there is a lawful obligation for governments to help them,” he mentioned.

Merchant ships may enhance search-and-rescue operations to assist boat individuals within the Andaman Sea and the Strait of Malacca, one of many world’s busiest transport channels, Hammond mentioned.

Last yr, service provider ships have been deployed to rescue greater than 40,000 out of a complete of greater than 200,000 migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Africa and the Middle East, based on the ICS.

CALL FOR REGIONAL RESPONSE

The U.N. and the United States have requested for a regional response to keep away from a humanitarian catastrophe however up to now not one of the international locations concerned within the disaster has responded.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed alarm on Thursday after Thailand declined permission for a migrant boat to land whereas Malaysia mentioned it will push boats again out to sea.

Nearly 800 “boat people” have been introduced ashore in Indonesia on Friday by fishermen however different vessels have been despatched again to sea.

Thailand, which can host a regional assembly on the problem on May 29, mentioned on Friday the migrants discovered on the boat close to its southern coast within the Andaman Sea had not wished to come back to Thailand however had wished to go to a 3rd nation.

The authorities fastened the boat’s engine and handed over meals, water and drugs earlier than towing it again out to sea. (Reporting by Astrid Zweynert; Editing by Katie Nguyen and Ros Russell)