However, escaping on boats in the post-monsoon season remains to be neither safe nor secure. This is because Rohingya continue to be given no choice but to pursue the same maritime routes for their escape, relying on the same brokers and traffickers who often exploit them. From the refugee camps in Bangladesh, or from their homes in Myanmar, Rohingya who attempt to flee still risk human trafficking, bribery and extortion, sexual and gender-based violence, and death even before being cowed by their brokers into unseaworthy vessels.12 They remain crammed into the dilapidated boats for months throughout their maritime escape, without proper access to privacy, food, clean water, or communication lines; women and girls are in particular at risk of rape, sexual exploitation, and other brutal forms of sexual violence by actors including their traffickers and crew members.13 Such an environment becomes more permanent as neighboring governments push back boats carrying Rohingya refugees, effectively leaving them stranded on sea and risking drowning to death.14 And, as was demonstrated by the recent targeted attacks in Aceh, those who do permit the disembarkation of Rohingya no longer welcome them with open arms. The boat crisis is largely man made – and so are its dangers faced by Rohingya refugees. Hate speech and disinformation Hate speech, disinformation, and misinformation falsely and negatively describing the influx of Rohingya refugees continue to be disseminated with no delay. This was observed in Malaysia particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic (when its causes were misreported by certain platforms as being associated with the country’s refugees) – and to this day as was recently illustrated in an article warning against the influx of Rohingya “colonies” in the country.15 At the same time, Rohingya seeking refuge in India face hate speech in part due to the group being identified by the wider Hindu majority as Muslim, and the Hindu nationalist-led government making use of such a purported threat. In fact, the government 12 Women’s Peace Network and Refugees International, “The Situation of the Rohingya and Deadly Sea Crossings,” Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, February 2023, https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/issues/trafficking/cfi-idp/Submission-by-Refugees%20Internatio nal%20and%20Womens%20Peace%20Network.pdf; “‘We are targeted for being Rohingya in Myanmar and everywhere’: The situation of Rohingya since February 1, 2021,” Women’s Peace Network, March 2023, https://mcusercontent.com/6819ae24e30bd9a9db0322d69/files/26c68fcf-6c35-707b-d7eb-caa3e98a0840/_Repor t__We_are_targeted_for_being_Rohingya_in_Myanmar_and_everywhere._.pdf. 13 Natasha Yacoub, Nikola Errington, Wai Wai Nu, and Alexandra Robinson, “Rights Adrift: Sexual Violence Against Rohingya Women on the Andaman Sea,” Asia-Pacific Journal on Human Rights and the Law 22 (2021): 96-114, https://doi.org/10.1163/15718158-22010006. 14 Kristen Gelineau, “A boat carrying 180 Rohingya vanished. A frantic phone call helped untangle the mystery,” The Associated Press, June 6, 2023, https://apnews.com/article/rohingya-investigation-missing-boat-refugees-bangladesh-myanmar-migration-1b94b44 72a42b26eb066bef47b7bcf7e; Hannah Samosir and Astudestra Ajengrastri, “Indonesia: Babies die on boats as locals chase Rohingya refugees,” BBC News Services, December 7, 2023, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-67575500; Niniek Karmini and Edna Tarigan, “Indonesia’s navy pushes a boat suspected of carrying Rohingya refugees out of its waters,” The Associated Press, December 28, 2023, https://apnews.com/article/indonesia-myanmar-rohingya-refugees-aa0afc6964fb6690faf5062e9b69a2be. 15 Nor Fazlina Abdul Rahim and Mohamed Farid Noh, “‘Colonies’ of Rohingya taking over different locations nationwide,’” New Straits Times, January 21, 2024, https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/01/1003822/colonies-rohingya-taking-over-different-locations-nationwid e. 5