More than 200 Rohingya refugees cross border into Indonesia

(CLO) More than 200 Rohingya people landed in Aceh province, Indonesia over the weekend, according to information from a local official on Monday.

This is a sign that the number of Rohingya people crossing the border by sea to this Southeast Asian country is increasing.

Rohingya refugee women attend a baking class in Malaysia. Photo: ICMC

The Rohingya, a predominantly Muslim ethnic group from Myanmar, are considered the world’s largest stateless people. They often leave refugee camps in squalid conditions on rudimentary boats to reach Thailand, Indonesia or Malaysia – countries with large Muslim populations. The period from October to April, when the seas are calmer, is the typical time for sea migration.

More than 200 Rohingya arrived in the West Peureulak area of ​​East Aceh, on the island of Sumatra in western Indonesia, on Sunday evening, according to Miftach Tjut Adek, head of the fishing community in Aceh.

Faisal Rahman, an official with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said the agency was coordinating with local authorities and a UNHCR team set out for West Peureulak on Monday.

In October and November last year alone, more than 500 Rohingya arrived by sea in Indonesia. In 2023, Indonesia recorded more than 2,000 Rohingya arrivals, surpassing the total number of refugees in the previous four years, according to UNHCR data.

Nearly 1 million Rohingya are currently living in refugee camps in Bangladesh, which the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, calls "the world's largest humanitarian refugee camp."

In Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist country, the Rohingya are considered illegal immigrants from South Asia. They are not recognized as citizens and are often subjected to discrimination and abuse.

Cao Phong (according to Aljazeera, BBC)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/hon-200-nguoi-ti-nan-rohingya-vuot-bien-vao-indonesia-post329135.html