Rashid arrived in Langkawi in Malaysia after weeks at sea in a fishing boat crammed with Myanmar’s unwanted: Rohingya Muslims driven out by soldiers and ethnic Buddhist militias who had razed their villages.
A decade on, the now 14-year-old has witnessed countless boats arrive on the island over the years, as his stateless community continues to flee persecution.
“We did not choose Malaysia because we thought it was a good or nice country,” he told This Week in Asia, requesting to give only his first name as he feared deportation.
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“The only reason was that my father was already there, and my mother decided to follow him so we could survive.”
The pattern of flight is familiar for the Rohingya.
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At least 28 Rohingya – including nine women and five children – died when a boat capsized near Langkawi in November, a grim reminder of the dangers faced by one of the world’s most persecuted minorities.