29-12-2023 (JAKARTA) Tensions escalate in Aceh as an Indonesian navy vessel intercepted and repelled a boat carrying Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, according to a military spokesperson. The incident highlights the growing hostility faced by Rohingya refugees in the region as they seek refuge from the ongoing strife in Myanmar.
The encounter took place in the waters near Weh Island, off Sumatra, where the Indonesian military vessel closely monitored the wooden boat believed to be carrying Rohingya refugees. Nugraha Gumilar, the military spokesperson, stated that the vessel was shadowed until it was outside Indonesian waters, ensuring it would not return. The exact number of Rohingya on the boat remains unknown.
In response to inquiries, Indonesia’s foreign ministry directed questions to the coordinating ministry for political, legal, and security affairs, which has yet to provide a comment. The incident follows a recent surge in Rohingya arrivals in Indonesia, with over 1,500 recorded since November, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The increasing influx has triggered frustration among locals, with a notable incident on December 27 when a large crowd of Indonesian students stormed a convention centre in Aceh, demanding the deportation of hundreds of Rohingya refugees. The UNHCR expressed deep concern over the mob attack on the site sheltering vulnerable refugee families.
Rohingya, a persecuted Muslim minority in Myanmar, have faced longstanding discrimination, denied citizenship, and subjected to abuse. They typically embark on perilous journeys to Indonesia or neighbouring Malaysia between November and April when the seas are calmer.
While Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, is not a signatory to the 1951 United Nations Convention on Refugees, it has a history of accepting refugees arriving on its shores. The government has called on Myanmar to cease violence against Rohingya Muslims and pledged to crackdown on suspected human traffickers involved in the recent wave of arrivals.
