About 2000 migrants have been saved at sea

June 01, 2015 Almost 2,000 people from Myanmar and Bangladesh have been rescued, with some swimming ashore in Malaysia and Indonesia.  Malaysian police said people-smugglers had dumped at least 1,018 hungry migrants in shallow waters off the coast of the resort island of Langkawi for about 5 days. One boat was still stuck on a breakwater offshore but the others are believed to have fled to sea.

Indonesian authorities discovered at least 92 children among those brought ashore in Malaysia and Indonesia. The vessel discovered off Indonesia was still at sea, shadowed by the country’s navy. The vessel had been damaged but still afloat and its captain had fled.

Thousands of people are known to brave a perilous sea and land trafficking route through Thailand and into Malaysia, Indonesia and beyond, each year.

Langkawi police Chief Haritth Kam Abdullah is quoted as saying on the matter “We know that there are more boats out there that want to come in,”