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Over 260 Rohingya refugees, many of whom were women and children, have made it to Indonesia’s easternmost province of Aceh after enduring several harrowing days adrift at sea. Local authorities, speaking on Monday, confirmed the group’s arrival and highlighted the dire conditions they faced during their journey, underscoring the ongoing plight of the persecuted minority seeking refuge from hardship and violence.
The Rohingya, a predominantly Muslim ethnic group, face severe persecution in Myanmar, prompting thousands to undertake perilous sea voyages each year in hopes of reaching safer shores in Malaysia or Indonesia. These desperate journeys, fraught with danger, have become a tragic cycle for a community seeking refuge from relentless violence and discrimination.
An official from East Aceh, Iskandar — known simply by one name, as is common in Indonesia — confirmed that the latest group of refugees made landfall in West Peureulak on Sunday night at 10:25 PM local time (1525 GMT). Their arrival, under the cover of night, marked the end of their perilous journey at sea and signified a glimmer of hope in the midst of their struggle.
“There are 264 of them — 117 men and 147 women,” Iskandar told AFP Monday, adding that in the group, around 30 were children.
He detailed how the refugees had originally set out on two boats, one of which sank off the coast, leaving its passengers stranded at sea. The other boat, though, managed to make it closer to land, allowing those aboard to step onto the shore when the tide receded, their journey finally ending after days of uncertainty and danger.
“They told me they were rejected in Malaysia,” Iskandar said, adding that the local government has not decided where to move the Rohingya refugees.
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Rohingya arrivals in Indonesia tend to follow a cyclical pattern, slowing during the stormy months and picking back up when sea conditions calm down.
In November, more than 100 refugees were rescued after their boat sank off the coast of East Aceh.
In October, 152 Rohingya refugees were finally brought ashore after being anchored for days off the coast of South Aceh district while officials decided whether to let them land.
Indonesia is not a signatory to the UN refugee convention and says it cannot be compelled to take in refugees from Myanmar, calling instead on neighbouring countries to share the burden and resettle the Rohingya who arrive on its shores.
Many Acehnese, who have memories of decades of bloody conflict themselves, are sympathetic to the plight of their fellow Muslims.
But others say their patience has been tested, claiming the Rohingya consume scarce resources and occasionally come into conflict with locals.
