JAKARTA — The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has called on Indonesia to allow about 150 Rohingya refugees, stranded at sea off Aceh province for nearly a week, to land safely. This appeal comes amid reports that two people aboard the boat have died, and 11 others, including a pregnant woman, were evacuated to a local hospital in critical condition.
The group was discovered by local fishermen last Thursday, with children on board pleading for food and water after weeks at sea. Muhammad Jabal, head of the fishing community at Labuhan Haji port, said, “We brought them bread and water, their condition was so worrying.”
The UNHCR has urged the Indonesian government to permit the safe landing of the Rohingya, a persecuted minority group from Myanmar. “We continue to communicate with the authorities. Our priority is the safety of the Rohingya on board,” said UNHCR spokesperson Mitra Salima Suryono.
Indonesia has faced a surge in Rohingya arrivals, with more than 2,300 reaching its shores in 2023, a sharp increase compared to the combined total of arrivals over the previous four years. The growing number of refugees has caused some local frustration, with many arrivals occurring between November and April when the seas are calmer, enabling more Rohingya to flee persecution in Myanmar.
Local media reported that regional police had arrested three individuals on human trafficking charges related to the incident. According to Joko Krisdiyanto, a spokesperson for the regional police, the boat had departed from Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, traveled to the Andaman Islands in October, and then attempted to reach Aceh. The Rohingya were allegedly required to pay for their transport to Indonesia, raising suspicions of human trafficking.
The Indonesian government is now facing growing pressure from international organizations to address the humanitarian crisis, with a focus on the immediate safety and well-being of those stranded at sea.