LABUHAN HAJI, Indonesia — Approximately 140 Rohingya Muslims, predominantly women and children, were stranded on a wooden vessel situated about a mile from the northeastern coastline of Indonesia’s Aceh province as of Tuesday, according to local officials. Residents of the area have expressed their refusal to allow the group to disembark onto the land.
The vessel, painted blue, has been adrift since Friday. During their arduous nearly two-week journey from Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, local authorities reported that three individuals tragically lost their lives. As of Sunday, 11 members of the group were transported to a government hospital due to deteriorating health conditions.
Muhammad Jabal, the leader of the fishing community in South Aceh, indicated that the local fishing populace is resistant to the arrival of the Rohingya owing to past incidents that have caused disturbances within the community. A large banner was visibly displayed at the harbor, stating, “The people of South Aceh Regency reject the arrival of Rohingya refugees in the South Aceh Regency area.”
The group had departed from Cox’s Bazar on October 9, with aspirations of reaching Malaysia. Reports suggest that some individuals aboard the vessel had paid for their passage to other nations. Jabal mentioned that although local residents have provided food to the stranded individuals, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has also assisted with provisions.
Initially, 216 people set sail from Bangladesh, and police noted that 50 had disembarked in Indonesia’s Riau province. Furthermore, Aceh police have apprehended three individuals suspected of being involved in people smuggling operations.
Around 1 million Rohingya currently reside in Bangladesh, having fled their homeland of Myanmar, with about 740,000 escaping a violent counterinsurgency effort executed by Myanmar’s military in 2017. This campaign has been marked by allegations of mass atrocities, including rape and murder. The Rohingya community in Myanmar endures significant discrimination, frequently being denied citizenship.
Indonesia, alongside Thailand and Malaysia, is not bound by the 1951 Refugee Convention and therefore is under no obligation to accept these individuals. Despite this, the nation usually extends temporary shelter to refugees in need.
In March, Indonesian officials and local fishermen rescued 75 individuals from a capsized vessel off the coast of Aceh. Sadly, an additional 67 passengers, including at least 28 children, perished when the boat sank, according to the UNHCR. Reports indicated that prior to the vessel’s capsizing, the captain and crew had subjected women and girls to abuse.