Three boats carrying more than 500 Rohingya refugees reached Indonesia’s westernmost province on Sunday, marking one of the largest arrivals since Myanmar’s military crackdown on the minority group in 2017. The Rohingya, facing severe persecution in Myanmar, undertake perilous sea journeys, risking their lives to reach countries like Malaysia or Indonesia.
According to Faisal Rahman, a protection associate with the United Nations refugee agency, one boat arrived in Aceh province’s Bireuen district with 256 people, another with at least 241 refugees landed in Aceh’s Pidie region, and a smaller boat carrying 36 arrived in East Aceh. The group includes 110 women and 60 children from the boat in Bireuen.
The boat that arrived in Bireuen had been pushed back out to sea by locals on Thursday, remaining stranded off the coast for several days before landing. The refugees are currently held at a temporary shelter, awaiting decisions from authorities, and are reported to be in generally good health.
This week alone, over 800 refugees have landed in Aceh province, with 196 arriving on Tuesday and 147 on Wednesday, as reported by local officials. The refugees’ cases will be handled by relevant institutions, according to Bireuen regional secretary Ibrahim Ahmad.
Aziz Ullah, a 20-year-old refugee, revealed that he was living in a camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, before embarking on the 16-day journey. He cited recurring violence by the Myanmar government as the reason behind their perilous journey and expressed the desire for a peaceful life in Indonesia.
By AFP
