Over a hundred Rohingya asylum seekers arrived by sea in Bireuen, Aceh Province yesterday, becoming the latest batch from the persecuted ethnic group to find their way to Indonesia.
Officials said 114 asylum seekers — comprising 58 men, 21 women, and 35 children — disembarked their boat on Alue Buya Pasi Beach in the regency in the early hours of Sunday.
“The Rohingya immigrants departed Myanmar and were out at sea for 25 days with lack of food,” Aceh Police spokesman Grand Commissioner Winardy told reporters today.
The asylum seekers’ arrival was first noticed by residents of a coastal village. The residents then gave the refugees shelter at an Islamic school building.
Officials have conducted COVID-19 testing and administered jabs to the Rohingya refugees, which are required before they can be transferred to a temporary shelter in nearby Lhokseumawe city.
Police noted that 74 people in the group are holders of a card issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) while 30 have COVID-19 vaccine certificates.
“That means some among them have received protection and aid for asylum seekers from an international organization,” Winardy said.
The predominantly Muslim ethnic group from Myanmar’s Rakhine State often embark on perilous journeys that are filled with uncertainty and rejection as they flee brutal crimes against humanity.
Indonesia has been applauded for its humane response to the plight of Rohingya asylum seekers. In December 2021, authorities rescued 105 Rohingya on a damaged, unseaworthy boat that had been perilously at sea off the coast of Aceh for three weeks. In June, 81 Rohingya refugees were rescued off the coast of East Aceh.
Indonesia tends to accept asylum seekers. However, they are usually barred from working and often spend years in immigration centers.
