1-1-2024 (JAKARTA) Over the weekend, more than 140 Rohingya refugees have arrived in North Sumatra province, as reported by state news agency Antara on Monday (Jan 1). This influx adds to the growing number of members from Myanmar’s Muslim minority seeking refuge in Indonesia.
The group, consisting mainly of women and children, reached the Deli Serdang area in North Sumatra late on Saturday, according to a police officer quoted in the Antara report.
These arrivals come in the wake of an incident last week, where the Myanmar military claimed that its navy vessel had intercepted and turned away a boat carrying Rohingya refugees in waters further north of Sumatra. The plight of the persecuted Rohingya minority has unfortunately led to increased hostility and rejection in Indonesia.
According to data from the United Nations’ refugee agency (UNCHR), over 1,500 Rohingya refugees have landed in Indonesia since November. These individuals have been forced to leave Myanmar, a country where they are often considered foreign intruders from South Asia, denied citizenship, and subjected to widespread abuse.
The Rohingya typically embark on their journey to Indonesia or neighboring Malaysia between November and April when the seas are calmer. Although Indonesia, as the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, is not a signatory to the 1951 United Nations Convention on Refugees, it has a history of providing refuge to those in need upon their arrival.
