Over 110 Rohingya refugees arrived in Indonesia’s Aceh province after their boat nearly sank, adding to the growing number of arrivals in the Southeast Asian country. The mainly Muslim Rohingya from Myanmar typically escape poor conditions in refugee camps by sea, seeking refuge in countries like Indonesia and Malaysia. Last month, around 400 Rohingya arrived in Aceh and North Sumatra province.
The refugees, mostly women and children, were rescued by fishermen when their boat encountered difficulties and nearly sank. A total of 116 refugees came ashore in East Aceh’s Birem Bayeun district, according to a UNHCR official. The Rohingya face discrimination and lack of citizenship in Myanmar, prompting them to flee the country.
With almost 1 million Rohingya living in camps in Bangladesh, the situation has been described as the world’s largest humanitarian refugee camp by the UNHCR. Despite the challenges faced by the Rohingya, more than 2,000 arrived in Indonesia last year alone, surpassing the total arrivals in the previous four years.
Indonesia, not being a signatory of the U.N. refugee convention, has expressed limited capacity to accommodate refugees. Some Rohingya have faced hostility from locals as frustrations rise over the increasing number of arrivals. The plight of the Rohingya continues to be a pressing humanitarian issue in the region.
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