Over the weekend, more than 200 Rohingya refugees arrived by boat in Indonesia’s Aceh province, according to an official report on Monday. This marks a rise in the number of Rohingya arrivals by sea in Southeast Asia.
The Rohingya, a predominantly Muslim group originally from Myanmar, are the largest stateless population in the world. They often flee dire conditions in refugee camps, making perilous journeys by boat to Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia, particularly during the calmer months from October to April.
On Sunday evening, more than 200 Rohingya landed in the West Peureulak area of East Aceh on Sumatra island, located on the western side of Indonesia, as confirmed by Miftach Tjut Adek, head of Aceh’s fishing community.
Faisal Rahman, a representative from the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), stated that the agency is working with local authorities and that its team was heading to West Peureulak on Monday.
In late 2023, over 500 Rohingya arrived in Indonesia by boat between October and November. Nearly 1 million Rohingya currently reside in refugee camps in Bangladesh, which UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has called “the largest humanitarian refugee camp in the world.”
In Myanmar, where the population is mostly Buddhist, the Rohingya are viewed as foreign intruders from South Asia, are denied citizenship, and face systemic abuse.
According to UNHCR data, more than 2,000 Rohingya arrived in Indonesia in 2023, a number higher than the combined total for the previous four years.
