from Myanmar to Malaysia, in July 2024, was filled with immense difficulties, dangers and
challenges. Initially, he left the internally displaced camp and moved to a place in Buthidaung,
where agents were luring Rohingya people who were ready to flee the country. From there, he
was taken to the seashore, where he boarded a boat. The journey eventually brought him to
Malabaing. From there, he and 135 Rohingya men, women, and children were put into a truck
and transported to Myawaddy. The journey was extremely dangerous, with limited access to food
and water. The conditions were deplorable, and the travelers suffered physical abuse at the hands
of Rakhine agents. Noor himself was beaten multiple times without any reason. After a period of
11 days in Thailand, the agents or smugglers finally transported him to Malaysia, where his
brother received him. Throughout the journey, Noor says that he has experienced extreme
situations for himself as well as people he traveled with in unsafe and overcrowded boats. Many
of his fellow travelers were severely beaten up by the smugglers for a variety of reasons. The
experience was both physically and emotionally traumatizing for him. Similarly, Amir Faesal fled
from Myanmar to Thailand with his sister. Their journey began with a boat ride, arranged by the
agents, to Shamila, followed by travel to Puna Jwen, where they stayed for 14 days. From there,
they were made to sit into a boat that sailed for seven days without food or water. The conditions
on board were inhumane. They were overcrowded, faced heat, unsanitary spaces, and brutality
from traffickers. He mentions an incident when he was beaten up with a belt by one of the
smugglers for attempting to move to the upper deck in search of air. The boat ferried them
through seas and oceans for days and nights. Upon reaching the Thailand border, they walked for
another 14 days through dense terrain to enter Thailand. Along the way, he witnessed the
consequences of displacement and family disintegration firsthand. On the boat, people chatted
among themselves, sharing stories about family members they did not know about their locations.
He also says that he still remembers navigating through dangerous routes in the sea, and he saw
his fellow people breaking down from fatigue and fear. No humanitarian organizations or any
state forces came to their aid during the journey, and they survived through sheer will and looking
at each other.
The dangers faced by those fleeing were not limited to the dangerous sea crossings, the overland
journey particularly to Bangladesh was equally filled with hardship. From their villages and
towns, people moved under constant fear, anxious about being intercepted by the AA forces or
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