LHOKSEUMAWE, Indonesia — Authorities confirmed on Monday that over 260 Rohingya refugees, primarily women and children, have arrived in Indonesia after journeying on two separate boats.
Local police and military personnel, in collaboration with the United Nations refugee agency and the regional government in West Pereulak, East Aceh, are currently working to gather further details about the newcomers. This group of refugees landed on Sunday evening, and according to East Aceh’s police chief, Nova Suryandaru, efforts are being made to ensure their safety and well-being. He stated, “We will follow up their presence by coordinating with the UNHCR for further action.”
Since February, East Aceh has seen the arrival of over 300 Rohingya refugees. Approximately 1 million Rohingya individuals, mostly Muslim, are currently residing in camps situated in Bangladesh after fleeing from Myanmar. This group includes around 740,000 individuals who escaped a harsh “clearance campaign” initiated in 2017, during which Myanmar’s security forces were accused of widespread atrocities including mass violence and sexual assault.
The Rohingya, facing extensive discrimination in Myanmar, find themselves largely without citizenship rights. Indonesia has called on the international community for support due to the increasing number of Rohingya attempting to escape the congested refugee camps in Bangladesh since the past year.
Although Indonesia, along with its neighboring countries Thailand and Malaysia, is not a signatory to the United Nations 1951 Refugee Convention and thus not legally obliged to accept refugees, it generally offers temporary refuge and assistance to those in distress.
On a related note, Malaysian authorities reported on Saturday that they had turned away two vessels carrying nearly 300 Rohingya refugees who were attempting to reach the country illegally. The Maritime Enforcement Agency mentioned that after a previous incident where 196 Rohingya successfully landed on Langkawi, a northeastern resort island where they are now detained, additional boats have been spotted trying to enter Malaysia.
