The United Nations refugee agency announced on Friday that more than 150 Rohingya refugees, including women and children, had been rescued off the Indonesian coast after their boat had been stranded at sea for days.
The Rohingya, a predominantly Muslim ethnic group, face severe persecution in Myanmar, and hundreds of them perish every year while travelling by sea to Malaysia or Indonesia.
The 152 passengers were ultimately brought ashore on Thursday afternoon after being anchored for days a mile (1.6 km) off the coast of the South Aceh region while authorities considered whether to allow them to land.
“UNHCR would like to thank the authorities and local communities for the humanitarian spirit and life-saving efforts as well as the landing permits given to around 152 refugees,” UNHCR’s Faisal Rahman told AFP on Friday.
“Many of those on the boat were vulnerable women and children, victims of human trafficking,” he said, adding that UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies were now assisting the refugees.
Arrivals of Rohingya in Indonesia often follow a cyclical pattern, increasing during calm seas, as they did in recent weeks, and decreasing during stormy months.
On Thursday, another contingent of about 140 Rohingya refugees arrived in the province of North Sumatra, Indonesia.
Indonesia claims it cannot be forced to accept migrants from Myanmar since it is not a party to the UN refugee convention. Instead, it calls on its neighbours to shoulder some of the load and relocate Rohingya who come to its shores.
Many Acehnese sympathise with the suffering of their fellow Muslims since they too have recollections of decades of brutal conflict.
Others, however, assert that their patience has been tried and that the Rohingya periodically clash with locals and use limited resources.
More than 100 Rohingya refugees were forcibly relocated in December 2023 when hundreds of students stormed an Acehnese community centre where they were taking refuge and damaged their possessions.
