A boat carrying approximately 140 Rohingya refugees has been stranded off the coast of Indonesia for over a week, as local communities increasingly reject the arrival of Rohingya by sea. The refugees are currently prohibited from coming ashore.
Residents of a town in Aceh Province have been collaborating with the United Nations’ refugee agency to provide food and water to the stranded group, according to Muhammad Jabal, chairman of the fisheries association in South Aceh.
On Wednesday, officials from the town of Labuhan Haji reached an agreement to allow the refugees to come ashore for a maximum of one week starting Thursday. Zumardi Chaidir, chief of South Aceh’s search and rescue team, stated that Indonesian immigration officials would determine the refugees' next destination, which consists mainly of women and children.
However, local residents have expressed reluctance to host the refugees due to unrest in nearby towns that had previously accepted other Rohingya groups. Mr. Jabal noted that these towns experienced disturbances, including littering, theft, and various security issues, leading to community resistance against the refugees being placed in their area.
This situation follows a recent increase in the number of Rohingya refugees arriving by boat in Indonesia, a country that has previously hosted thousands. Murizal Hamzah, an Aceh resident and author, indicated that a wave of rejections began last year, partly fueled by misinformation about the Rohingya on social media.
Tiy Chung, a spokesman for the U.N. refugee agency, stated that discussions with Indonesian authorities are ongoing, expressing hope for the safe disembarkation of the refugees.
The Rohingya, primarily Muslim, are among the most persecuted ethnic groups globally. Approximately one million have been displaced from Myanmar, many fleeing what has been termed a genocide by Myanmar’s military in 2017, which forced them to seek safety and basic necessities.
In recent years, thousands of Rohingya have undertaken dangerous sea journeys to reach other Southeast Asian nations, including Malaysia and Indonesia, in search of refuge from violence in Myanmar and overcrowded camps in Bangladesh. Since 2006, around 7,300 Rohingya refugees have arrived by boat in Indonesia, according to the U.N. refugee agency.
Last year alone, about one-third of the boat arrivals in Indonesia occurred, a surge attributed to instability in Myanmar, reduced humanitarian aid in Bangladeshi camps, and increased smuggling activities.
The stranded boat, which departed from Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh, weeks ago, originally carried around 210 individuals. The police in Banda Aceh reported that the refugees had paid to be transported to Malaysia. During the journey, approximately 50 passengers disembarked in the Indonesian city of Pekanbaru.
Upon reaching the vicinity of Labuhan Haji last week, at least three individuals were found deceased, and 11 others were hospitalized due to illness. The remaining 140 individuals on board have been prevented from coming ashore, forcing the boat to anchor four miles from land.
Authorities suggested that the boat may be linked to human trafficking, as three Aceh residents have been detained on suspicion of smuggling, with eight other suspected smugglers still at large.