10-12-2023 (JAKARTA) On Sunday, a dilapidated boat carrying an estimated 400 ethnic Rohingya people arrived in Aceh province, Indonesia, according to the chief of a provincial fishing community. This recent influx adds to the growing number of Myanmar’s persecuted Muslim minority seeking refuge in Indonesia.
Prior to these arrivals, the United Nations’ refugee agency (UNHCR) reported that since November, approximately 1,200 Rohingya individuals had landed on Indonesian shores.
Miftah Cut Ade, the chief of the fishing community in Aceh, stated that two boats arrived in the province early Sunday morning, one each in the districts of Pidie and Aceh Besar. Each boat was estimated to be carrying around 200 Rohingya.
Local military official Andi Susanto confirmed that around 180 Rohingya individuals had landed in Pidie at 4 am, and efforts were underway to collect data. Susanto also acknowledged the presence of a second boat but lacked information regarding its landing location or the number of individuals on board.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo expressed his suspicion that human trafficking is behind the recent surge in boat arrivals. He pledged to collaborate with international organizations to address the issue.
While Indonesia is not a signatory to the 1951 United Nations Convention on Refugees, the country has a history of providing refuge to those who arrive on its shores. However, the recent high volume of arrivals has sparked backlash on social media and faced resistance from some individuals in Aceh, the westernmost region where most boats make landfall.
For years, Rohingya individuals have fled Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist country where they face discrimination, lack of citizenship, and abuse. During the calmer seas between November and April, Rohingya refugees embark on perilous journeys in wooden boats to neighboring Thailand, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Indonesia in search of safety and a better life.
