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Turkey joins efforts to rescue Rohingya Muslims in SE Asian waters: PM

Xinhua, May 19, 2015 Adjust font size:

A Turkish military ship is tasked to join efforts to rescue Rohingya refugees afloat in Southeast Asian waters, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Tuesday.

The government has instructed a Turkish military ship sailing in the region to join international efforts to help the Rohingya refugees, Davutoglu said.

Hundreds of Rohingyas had reportedly sailed into Thai territorial waters in the Andaman Sea since earlier this month, besides many others who had sailed further down toward Malaysia and Indonesia.

The United Nations estimated that thousands of refugees were still drifted at sea after being deceived and abandoned by traffickers who initially facilitated their trip to flee out of their countries.

According to data released by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, more than 25,000 ethnic Rohingyas have fled Myanmar in the last three months. Endit