Nearly 1,000 Rohingya refugees arrive by boat in Indonesia’s Aceh region in a week

Lhokseumawe: Almost 1,000 Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar have arrived by boat in Indonesia’s northernmost province of Aceh in the last six days, officials said Monday.

They included five groups with women and children who were afloat for days. One batch of more than 240 people was twice denied landing by residents in Aceh Utara district, sparking concerns from human rights organisations. The group finally disembarked in Bireuen district on Sunday morning.

“We thank the authorities and local communities who have received and granted landing permits for them and in the future we hope that this spirit of solidarity and humanity will continue to be extended to refugees who need assistance and protection,” the UNHC for Refugees said in a statement. The refugees arriving in Aceh had endured a difficult sea journey. Most of them left refugee camps in Bangladesh, where over 700,000 had fled following a crackdown by Myanmar’s army in 2017.