Myanmar authorities have arrested nearly 150 Rohingya suspected of trying to flee the country, an official told AFP on Tuesday.

The mainly Muslim Rohingya are seen in Myanmar as interlopers from Bangladesh. They are denied citizenship and require permission to travel.

The military launched a crackdown on Rohingya in 2017, and thousands now risk their lives each year making perilous journeys from camps in Bangladesh and Myanmar to reach Muslim-majority Malaysia and Indonesia.

The 127 Rohingya men and 18 women were arrested on Friday near the village of Waekhami in southern Mon state.

"They have been detained since then and under investigation according to the immigration law," Aung Myat Kyaw Sein, spokesperson for Mon State Administration Council, told AFP.

Myanmar is facing genocide accusations at the United Nations' top court following the 2017 crackdown, which sent hundreds of thousands fleeing to Bangladesh.

Last week, a boat carrying around 50 Rohingya broke up in heavy seas off the Myanmar coast. Rescuers have recovered 17 bodies, but the rest are still missing.

Bangladesh and Myanmar have discussed efforts to begin repatriating Rohingya refugees, though a senior US rights envoy said last month that conditions are not safe for their return.

Myanmar has been in chaos since Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government was toppled in a military coup in February 2021, ending its brief period of democracy.

AFP