A wooden boat carrying about 140 weak and hungry Rohingya Muslims, mostly women and children, was found anchored off the coast of Indonesia’s Aceh province. Local residents refused to allow them onto land, citing concerns of causing unrest. Three Rohingya died during the journey, and 11 were hospitalized due to worsening health.
The group left Cox’s Bazar for Malaysia but ended up in Indonesia. Despite not being a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention, Indonesia often provides temporary shelter to refugees in distress. The local fishing community in Aceh has refused to let the Rohingya ashore, prompting authorities to step in and arrest three suspects for people smuggling.
About 1 million Rohingya refugees live in Bangladesh, with 740,000 fleeing a brutal campaign in Myanmar in 2017. The Rohingya minority in Myanmar faces discrimination and lack of citizenship. In a past incident, Indonesian officials rescued 75 people from a capsized boat, with reports of torture on board.
© Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.