UN agencies highlight plight of Asia migrants stranded at sea

(Vatican Radio) United Nations agencies urged Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand on Tuesday to intensify sea rescue operations and let desperate migrants stranded in waters in Southeast Asia reach land.

In a statement issued on Tuesday which included the signature of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the UN agencies called on Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, to protect migrants and refugees stranded on vessels in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. They are urging these countries to facilitate safe disembarkation, and to give priority to saving lives, protecting rights, and respecting human dignity.

Listen to Lydia O'Kane's report

Those stranded in these waters including migrants and refugees from Bangladesh and Myanmar have been fleeing persecution and poverty in their own countries and have made the perilous journey by boat in search of a better life.

Around 700 Bangladeshis and Rohingya from Myanmar were rescued off Aceh in Indonesia last week by local fishermen,

In Southeast Asia, more than 88,000 people have made the dangerous voyage by sea since 2014. nearly 1,000 are believed to have perished at sea due to the conditions of the voyage, and an equal number because of mistreatment and privation at the hands of traffickers and abusive smugglers.