Conflict and chaos in Myanmar’s Rakhine State have escalated the risks faced by Bangladeshis who are trying to eke out a living along the maritime border.
By MATTHEW BRUNWASSER | FRONTIER MYANMAR
The six boats were fishing last month in Bangladeshi waters, close to the maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal, when a Myanmar warship appeared about a kilometre away.
Fearful of the Myanmar navy’s reputation for violence and aggression – including several recent attacks on Bangladeshi fishing boats – they immediately withdrew their nets and began motoring back towards the Teknaf peninsula.
But it was too late.