Seven Rohingya dead after boat seized

Seven Rohingya people from a group of 65 seized by Myanmar authorities from a boat off the southern coast died of hunger, thirst and exposure, state media said Friday.

On Monday, authorities detained a vessel near Pyapon township, around 120 kilometres (75 miles) south of commercial hub Yangon, said the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper.

“Four traffickers and 65 smuggled Bengalis were temporarily detained,” it said, using the term by which Rohingya are pejoratively referred to by many in Myanmar.

Three men and four women later “died due to the bad weather and lack of food and water”, it said.