Understanding the SE Asian boat crisis

SOUTHEAST ASIAN BOAT CRISIS

* Estimated 7000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar and economic migrants from Bangladesh remain stranded at sea.

* A total of 1396 people have landed in Indonesia, 1107 in Malaysia and 106 in southern Thailand since May 10.

* UNHCR estimates 25,000 people have fled on boats from the Bay of Bengal in the first four months of 2015. (Double the departure rates in comparison with 2014).

* Since mid-2012, an estimated 100,000 Rohingyas have fled by boat.

* 1000 people are estimated to have died at sea this year mostly from starvation, dehydration, and beatings by boat crews.

WHAT SPARKED THE BOAT CRISIS?

* On May 1, Thai authorities found more than 30 dead bodies buried at people smugglers' abandoned jungle camps near the Malaysian border.

* They launched a crackdown that resulted in smugglers abandoning their boats and leaving their customers at sea without fuel, food and water.

* In the past, Indonesia and Malaysia have quietly accepted Rohingya refugees. However, they have recently begun turning boats back.

WHO ARE THE ROHINGYAS?

* The Rohingya Muslims are an ethnic minority of about 1.3 million people who have no legal status or citizenship rights in Myanmar.

* They are stateless as a result of the Citizenship Law 1982, which restricts their movements and rights to services.

* Myanmar says the Rohingyas are actually Bangladeshi refugees.

WHY ARE ROHINGYAS FLEEING?

* Since 2012, Rohingya Muslims have faced violence from extremist Buddhists and the military in the Rakhine state.

* 140,000 Rohingyas are internally displaced in Myanmar.

* A two-child policy has been imposed on Rohingya Muslim families.

* Rohingyas have limited access to education and health care.

* They do not have freedom of movement.

WHAT ABOUT THE BANGLADESHIS?

* They are mostly economic migrants looking to find work and escape extreme poverty.

STATE OF PLAY

* Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia have agreed to end the dangerous game of "human ping-pong" and stop turning away vessels on Wednesday.

* Instead, Indonesia and Malaysia will provide temporary shelter to the refugees so long as the international community provides resettlement within a year.

* The United States has agreed to consider resettlement requests but Australia has ruled that out.

* 15 countries to attend regional crisis meeting in Bangkok on May 29.

* Australia sending its ambassador for people-smuggling issues.

* Myanmar threatening to boycott if the term Rohingya is used.

* Australia has already pledged $6 million for emergency food and shelter to Rohingya communities in Myanmar on top of a $10.7 million in emergency aid announced last week.

(SOURCES: UNHCR, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, MEDIA REPORTS)