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Govt under pressure to welcome more Rohingya
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Newly arrived Rohingya refugees sit stranded on a boat in Pineung, Aceh, on Nov 16, 2023, after the local community refused them entry after giving them water and food. (AFP/Amanda Jufrian)
T
he government faces fresh calls to take greater humanitarian action for Rohingya refugees, as local communities grow weary of their continued arrival on Indonesian shores as human trafficking victims fleeing persecution in Myanmar.
Rights groups have urged Jakarta to fulfill its “universal humanitarian obligations” after 870 Rohingya refugees landed in Aceh by boat in four waves over the course of a week, according to United Nations refugee agency UNHCR.
At least two of the four boats were left stranded off the coast for several days after residents of the nation’s westernmost province refused to admit them.
The overcrowded wooden vessels were finally allowed to dock on Sunday, while their desperate passengers were brought to temporary shelters to await further instruction.
Azarul Husna of the Aceh branch of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) said, however, that some 250 Rohingya refugees, mostly women and children, were still stranded on a beach in Bireuen regency under poor conditions.
“The acting regent has told us that they will send the refugees back to sea on Wednesday if the central government does not issue any clear regulation to handle the situation,” Azarul told a press conference on Tuesday.
Murthala, the regional secretary of the neighboring North Aceh administration, said last week that it was “difficult” for residents to welcome the refugees because of past instances of discord between the two groups.
