Survivor Testimony Describes Human Trafficking Operation In Cargo Ships

According to testimony collected from survivors, thousands of Bangladeshi and ethnic Rohingya migrants are being held in huge cargo ships by human traffickers in the Andaman Sea.
First-hand accounts indicate that trafficking syndicates trading in vulnerable migrants have responded to a recent crackdown by authorities in Thailand and Malaysia by holding their victims in large vessels close to international waters.
The practice, which has been accompanied by violence and other abuses, mirrors the fate of victims held in camps recently discovered by officials in southern Thailand and Malaysia.
A survivor from one ship who agreed to be interviewed on condition of anonymity described an ordeal of violence and sexual abuse accompanied by demands for ransom payment.