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Nearly 80 Rohingya refugees disembark for relocation in Aceh

Authorities initially blocked the refugees from disembarking to prevent them from escaping and because some local residents opposed their presence in town, according to local official.

Agencies
Jakarta
Thu, January 30, 2025 Published on Jan. 30, 2025 Published on 2025-01-30T15:25:49+07:00

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Nearly 80 Rohingya refugees disembark for relocation in Aceh People gather around a boat carrying newly-arrived Rohingya refugees after authorities prevented the refugees from disembarking and ordered them to remain on board the vessel at Leuge Beach in East Aceh regency, Aceh on Jan. 29, 2025. At least 75 Rohingya refugees arrived by boat at a beach in Aceh on Jan. 29, but were stopped by authorities from disembarking, according to local officials. (AFP/Cek Mad)

D

ozens of Rohingya refugees who arrived by boat at a beach in Aceh have been relocated to a temporary shelter after locals allowed their landing, an official said Thursday.

The latest group of 76 refugees, including four children, were moved to tents on a soccer field in East Aceh regency, Aceh on Wednesday night, hours after arriving the beach.

Authorities initially blocked the refugees from disembarking to prevent them from escaping and because some local residents opposed their presence in town, according to local administration official Iskandar.

After several hours, "a consensus was reached [...] to allow the refugees to disembark," Iskandar told AFP.

Representatives from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) had travelled to the area to negotiate with local residents and authorities.

Iskandar said that while the temporary shelter's capacity was limited, it was still "adequate as a temporary refuge".

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The refugees, who appeared exhausted but not in critical condition, said they had travelled for days by sea from Myanmar, he added.

The mostly Muslim ethnic Rohingya are heavily persecuted in Myanmar and thousands risk their lives each year on long and dangerous sea journeys to reach Malaysia or Indonesia.

Rohingya arrivals in Indonesia tend to follow a cyclical pattern, slowing during the stormy winter months and picking back up when sea conditions calm down.

More than 260 Rohingya refugees arrived on a beach in Aceh earlier this month.

Indonesia is not a signatory to the UN refugee convention and says it cannot be compelled to take in refugees from Myanmar, calling instead on neighboring countries to share the burden and resettle the Rohingya who arrive on its shores.

Many Acehnese are sympathetic to the plight of their fellow Muslims but others decline their presence, claiming the Rohingya consume scarce resources and occasionally come into conflict with locals.

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