Ninety-six Rohingya refugees, among them seven children, are stranded on Sumatra Island after escaping Myanmar on a flimsy boat.
Leaving six dead in the latest exodus of people fleeing persecution in Myanmar, a boat carrying nearly 100 Rohingya refugees reached Sumatra Island in Indonesia. According to local officials, among the 96 survivors stranded on Aceh’s eastern shores, seven are children. Miftach Tjut Adek, head of a local fishing community said that the group remained on the beach while authorities worked to secure shelter for them.
Saiful Anwar, a local village official reported that the bodies were found onshore and, in the water, with two recovered on the beach and four floating nearby. The refugees reached after an arduous journey, many direly needing medical care who were stranded around 4 a.m. local time. Eight individuals received immediate medical attention due to illness or injuries during the voyage.
With approximately 300 people arriving on these shores last week alone, Aceh and North Sumatra recently witnessed an increase in Rohingya arrivals. Indonesia has been called on by The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to prioritize the safety and security of these refugees. Data from the UNHCR suggests that between January 2023 and March 2024, around 2,500 Rohingya have arrived Indonesia by boat, matching the total arrivals over the previous eight years combined.
Primarily in the Buddhist-majority country, The Rohingya, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority, face severe persecution in Myanmar, where they are denied citizenship and subjected to brutality. Taking advantage of calmer seas between October and April Thousands flee annually on dangerous boat journeys to nearby countries like Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Reinstated by a coup in 2021, Myanmar’s military rule, has intensified the Rohingya’s plight. Despite lacking official citizenship status, Myanmar’s government has often compelled Rohingya men and women into military service. The Rohingya have long faced military crackdowns in Rakhine state, including rape, torture, and murder, a significant one in 2017 that pushed over 700,000 people into Bangladesh and led to reports of brutal abuses.
The International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity is currently investigating the 2017 military crackdown.
Source: (Al Jazeera)