Nearly 200 Rohingya refugees, including numerous women and children, arrived in Indonesia’s westernmost province on Tuesday, marking the largest group of persecuted Myanmar minorities to reach the country in months, as reported by a local official in Banda Aceh. Each year, thousands of Rohingya, predominantly Muslim, undertake perilous and costly sea voyages, often in fragile boats, in attempts to reach Malaysia or Indonesia.
This group of 196 individuals landed in a remote area of Aceh Province’s Pidie region on Tuesday morning, as stated by local navy commander Andi Susanto in an official release. Upon arrival, some immediately fled inland, according to Marfian, a spokesperson for the fishing community, who, like many Indonesians, uses a single name. “Ten individuals quickly sought refuge in nearby hills. It appears they were intermediaries intentionally bringing the refugees to this location,” he remarked, differing from the lower number of seven reported by the local government.
Local authorities and residents extended assistance to the refugees. Marfian mentioned, “Community members offered food and beverages as it’s their custom to aid stranded Rohingyas.” AFP-released images depicted exhausted refugees, including women cradling babies, waiting on the beachside for aid.
According to the UN refugee agency, over 2,000 Rohingya reportedly attempted risky journeys to Southeast Asian countries in 2022. The agency estimated that nearly 200 Rohingya lost their lives or went missing last year during perilous sea crossings.
In a similar incident in March, 184 Rohingya refugees arrived in the eastern Aceh town of Peureulak after being abandoned at sea and compelled to swim ashore.
Source: AFP
