Meanwhile, in the past decade the consortium's annual budget has shrunk by half—to US $17.5 million—even while resident numbers declined by only 30 percent during the same period. Much of that drop is due to resettlements in third countries, such as the United States and Australia, but those left behind can no longer apply for such status.
* The Rohingya Pipeline—Mizzima
In the beginning, the boats were relatively small and only carried 60 or 70 passengers, Rohingya Society of Malaysia President Sultan Ahmed explained. They soon became larger, squeezing in at least 200 passengers. Women and children began coming in large numbers in 2011. In 2012, large cargo boats were pressed into service; these could accommodate 600 or 700 passengers, as was seen this May in some of the boats set adrift in the Andaman Sea by traffickers.
Susan J Cunningham 