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Displaced Rohingyas at Sea: Scourge of Human

Trafficking
3 June 2020

SREEPARNA BANERJEE

In what the United Nations (UN) has referred to as a risky ‘sport of human ping pong’, the displaced
Rohingyas at sea are oscillating from one country to another in hopes of gaining entry to Malaysia
or Thailand since February this year. While some were rescued by the coast guard when the boats
had returned to Bangladesh in mid-April and early May, the apprehensions remained that more
such trawlers are still at sea being denied access owing to the COVID19 scare.

The few hundreds of displaced Rohingyas rescued were severely emaciated, dehydrated and could
barely walk due to a shortage of food and water. Several of them had died in the boat and their
bodies were disposed off at sea. Such abysmal conditions has forced us to ponder that what
propels these displaced people to venture out on such dangerous expedition and what happens to
most of them eventually? For quite some time now, Malaysia and Thailand appear to be lucrative
destinations for these hapless people. They believe that once they arrive there, it will put an end to
their ongoing anguish of being in caged like circumstances with next to no economic or social
engagements. Thus, they agree to commence unsafe sea journeys in search for better prospects.

However, behind these anticipated aspirations, a ruthless trafficking network lurks that preys on
such vulnerable conditions. According to latest reports, the blight of human trafficking affects
some 40 million people in South and South East Asia. Women and girls account for 71 percent of
modern slavery numbers. Women and children particularly are enmeshed in an atrocious network
of sexual exploitation, forced labour and coerced marriage.

The population of around 885, 000 Rohingyas currently reside in Bangladesh, and their stateless
status and displacement has eroded their financial capabilities. Restriction of movement, the
stalled repatriation efforts between the governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar coupled with
isolation and desperation has heightened crimes like human trafficking to flow smoothly. Thus,
men, women, and children are enticed either with false work assurance or are simply abducted. 
Once an offer is accepted, individuals are often trapped, abused, and not paid the agreed amount
and even sometimes held for ransom until their family pays an exorbitant sum to rescue them.
Physical and sexual form of abuse is common for women and children who are frequently forced
into prostitution after accepting jobs as domestic workers. Men are coerced to work within
inhuman conditions as bonded labourers. Ironically, the current COVID-19 pandemic may have
saved these people from a fatal future ahead.

If one delves deeper into the issue, one may find the lack of reported cases quite intriguing.
Reports received have always been in bits and pieces and a holistic figure remains absent.
According to police records, 529 Rohingyas were rescued from trafficking in 2019 at the camps
near Cox’s Bazar. According to humanitarian organizations, this may just be the tip of the iceberg
as the numbers for people that still remain under the clutches of human trafficking networks are
unknown. One of the major recurring rationales behind unreported cases is the concept of ‘shame’.
Coming from an extremely conservative community, the fear of being labeled and stigmatized in
public hinders the parents, relatives, or spouses before reporting such crimes. Women and
children, if rescued, refrain from narrating their harrowing experiences.

Another compelling reason, though quite perturbing, is the presence of corruption within the
official ranks. The authorities within the camp areas at times are active or passive recipients to this
offence and thus under-reporting seem more convenient option. However, if one looks closely,
trafficking of displaced Rohingyas yearning for better economic opportunities is not a new
phenomenon. Reports of such dangerous voyages along with inhuman abuses have appeared
commonly between 2012 and 2015. Yet, the revival of this trend puts our minds at unease since
the strong trafficking networks become more apparent. It questions and also puts the efficacy of
national and regional security measures designed to stop such criminal ecosystems.

On a national level, Bangladesh along with the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) and International Organisation for Migration (IOM) is combating human
trafficking with a 2018-2022 national plan of action to improve enforcement through better inter-
agency coordination and improved training of officers. Nevertheless, trials of human traffickers are
below average. Out of 5,000 cases filed against traffickers since 2013, only 30 cases of human
trafficking have ended in convictions. Several cases were dismissed due to poor police
investigations and lack of witnesses. The government is trying to set up special tribunals to
expedite trials in human trafficking cases; however, the current pandemic has delayed the process.

The identification of government officials and personnel who are gaining from this crime is
essential. Introducing provisions to address corruption will be critical towards an effective
response. Capacity building in this regard will be of paramount importance to enable proper
training and also flagging illegal financial deals. Besides, victim care remains unsatisfactory.
Protective services for the victims of the crime should be at place. Rather than abusing or
mistreating victims as perpetrators of the crime, they need proper care, medical attention as well
as protection. Bangladesh is placed on the Tier-2 Watch List in the Trafficking in Persons (TIP)
Report by the US Department of State for three consecutive years from 2017-19 and might slip to
Tier-3 if it doesn’t work on the fault lines.

Given the enormity of the issue, the regional angle becomes pertinent. According to a UNHCR
report, it is estimated that 33,600 refugees and migrants of various nationalities took to
smugglers’ boats in Southeast Asia in 2015. The discovery of scores of mass graves believed to
contain the bodies of Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants in the border areas of Thailand and
Malaysia created enormous international pressure. This prompted Thailand to enforce strict
vigilance and suspend its officers responsible for facilitating the crime and punish the traffickers
involved. It has also led Malaysia to provide legal permit for migrants and asylum seekers.

The 2016 Bali Declaration under the Bali Process, a regional structure dealing with people
smuggling, trafficking, and transnational crime, was enforced which encouraged member countries
to provide safety and protection to migrants, victims of human trafficking, refugees and asylum
seekers. However, the current events are going against this narrative. The crime against the
displaced continues to permeate. The ongoing trafficking crisis has shown how little the region is
prepared and equipped to deal with such a movement of displaced people from one state to
another. A major lacuna to draw a regional legal apparatus may be required since most of the
countries of South and South East Asia especially the destination nations like Malaysia and
Thailand are not signatories to the 1951 Refugee Convention. There have been efforts to
strengthen domestic legislation as well as regional agreement to deal with the crisis.

Indonesia and Australia who co-chairs Bali Process have been approached to respond to the
current crisis. The situation needs close monitoring if better regional cooperation is to lead
improved protection for its displaced or stateless people. Robust legal machinery is required for
those seeking opportunity and safety through migration. The current situation should be treated
with the urgency that it demands. Therefore, integrated solutions both at the national and
regional level are the need of the hour. If ignored, such crimes will continue to spill over along with
the pandemic.

The views expressed above belong to the author(s).

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