UN urges rescue of refugees adrift in Andaman Sea

By GRANT PECK
Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — The United Nations and other groups are urging countries in southern Asia to rescue as many as 190 people believed to be Rohingya refugees aboard a small boat that has been adrift for several weeks in the Andaman Sea. Most of those on board are thought to be Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar who had lived in crowded refugee camps in Bangladesh for as many as five years and are seeking a better life in Malaysia and Indonesia. Messages they reportedly sent by satellite phone to their families describe their situation as desperate. The U.N. refugee agency says reports indicate they have been at sea for a month in dire conditions with insufficient food and water.