Over 100 Rohingya refugees fleeing persecution in Myanmar arrive in Indonesia's Aceh
A rickety wooden boat carrying more than 100 Rohingya Muslims landed Wednesday in Indonesia as the northernmost province of Aceh continued to receive the refugees fleeing persecution and political unrest in Myanmar
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A rickety wooden boat carrying more than 100 Rohingya Muslims landed Wednesday in Indonesia as the northernmost province of Aceh continued to receive the refugees fleeing persecution and political unrest in Myanmar.
Indonesia's government blames a surge in human trafficking for the increasing number of Rohingya Muslims who have arrived over the past few years.
Local police chief Nova Suryandaru said the boat’s engine had broken down and the boat, carrying mostly women and children, ran aground near Pereulak village in East Aceh district. He said authorities were collecting information about their identities.
He said one refugee told authorities that the vessel set off from Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh with the hope of reaching Malaysia. But Suryandaru said many suspect the boat was deliberately damaged by illegal traffickers so the refugees would not be returned to sea.
The government will take “firm action” against perpetrators of human trafficking, Suryandaru said.
Over 600 Rohingya refugees have landed in East Aceh in the past year, including more than 260 weak and hungry refugees, mostly women and children, who landed in Pereulak in two boats earlier this month.
Indonesia has appealed for help from the international community.
About 1 million Rohingya, who are predominantly Muslim, are in camps in Bangladesh after leaving Myanmar. They include about 740,000 who fled a brutal “clearance campaign” in 2017 by Myanmar’s security forces, who were accused of committing mass rapes and killings.
The Rohingya minority face widespread discrimination in Myanmar and most are denied citizenship.
___
Associated Press writer Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.