More than 100 Rohingya refugees found on Indonesian beach after spending over a month at sea | World News
More than 100 Rohingya Muslim refugees have been found on the Indonesian coast after sailing for at least a month.
The group, believed to be the latest to make the perilous journey from Myanmar, was discovered by fishermen on a beach in Indonesia’s Aceh province on Tuesday.
According to Herman Saputra, the regional police chief, among the refugees were 65 men, 27 women and 18 children.
Photo: AP
Described as weak and hungry, the entire group was moved to a nearby community hall for health checks until authorities decided where to receive them.
Muhammad Amin, one of the refugees from Myanmar, said that before being stranded in the waters of Aceh, they had aimed for Malaysia as their final destination.
When asked how long the group had been traveling, Mr Amin said: “It’s been a month and three days.”
Hundreds of thousands Rohingya Muslims has fled Buddhist-majority Myanmar to refugee camps since August 2017, when the country’s military launched operations in response to attacks by a rebel group.
Myanmar security forces have been charged raped the Rohingya, killed them and burn their houses.
Photo: AP
Heading initially to Bangladesh, many groups of Rohingya have attempted to leave the country’s camps by sea in hopes of reaching other Muslim-majority countries in the region.
Malaysia has been a popular destination for boats, although many Rohingya refugees who land there face detention.
Read more:
What you need to know about the Rohingya refugee crisis
Rohingya refugees ‘beaten and killed’ at camp
‘Blood on their hands’
In March, 114 Rohingya refugees were also found on a beach in Bireuen district, Aceh province of Indonesia.
The country is not a signatory to the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention – a treaty that defines who a refugee is, and sets out the rights of individuals who are granted asylum and the responsibilities of a refugee. countries granting asylum.
Instead, a 2016 presidential regulation provides a legal framework that governs the treatment of refugees on boats that crash near Indonesia and helps them leave the country.
