Rohingya Refugees Rescued From Sinking Boat As Indonesia Faces Surge In Sea Arrivals

More than 110 Rohingya refugees, mostly women and children, arrived safely in Indonesia’s Aceh province on Saturday after their boat encountered difficulties and almost sank, officials reported. The refugees were rescued by local fishermen in East Aceh’s Birem Bayeun district.

The Rohingya, originally from Myanmar and recognized as the world’s largest stateless group, often attempt perilous journeys to escape dire conditions in refugee camps. They typically travel by boat from Southeast Asia, particularly between October and April, when the seas are calmer.

This group’s arrival comes just a month after around 400 Rohingya refugees landed in Aceh and North Sumatra. Their boat had reportedly sustained damage during the journey.

The Rohingya are a persecuted ethnic group, facing severe abuse in Myanmar where they are denied citizenship and regarded as foreign intruders. Over 1 million Rohingya refugees currently live in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh, marking it as the largest refugee camp globally.

Despite the ongoing humanitarian crisis, Indonesia, which is not a signatory to the U.N. Refugee Convention, has expressed its inability to accommodate more refugees. Tensions are rising as local resentment grows over the influx of Rohingya refugees. Last year, over 2,000 Rohingya arrived in Indonesia, surpassing the total number of arrivals in the previous four years combined.