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Recovering the Dead (Excerpt From 'Escape From Myanmar')

In this excerpt from 'Escape From Myanmar,' VICE News goes to Malaysia, where a maritime authority has the grim task of recovering the bodies of drowned migrants who attempted the deadly sea journey from Myanmar.

The Rohingya people, a Muslim minority community, suffers from widespread persecution and discrimination in the majority Buddhist country of Myanmar. Violent sectarian clashes and rioting have destroyed villages and homes, leaving many Rohingyas with no option but to live in government-controlled camps for the internally displaced. The camps are overcrowded, and medical facilities are in short supply.

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Those who flee Myanmar to seek a better life in Malaysia risk their lives making the perilous crossing over the sea. On the boats that ferry them, extortion, beatings, and starvation are commonplace. Upon arriving in Malaysia, for some, life is no better.

In this excerpt, VICE News goes to Malaysia, where a maritime authority has the grim task of recovering the bodies of drowned migrants who attempted the deadly sea journey from Myanmar.

Watch "Escape From Myanmar"

Read "Historic Day in Myanmar as New Parliament Opens, Ending Decades of Military Rule"