Approximately 140 Rohingya Muslims, mainly women and children, are currently stranded on a wooden boat anchored about a mile off the coast of Indonesia's Aceh province. The boat has been adrift since Friday, with three Rohingya individuals losing their lives during the arduous journey from Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh to the waters near Labuhan Haji in South Aceh district.
Local residents have refused to allow the Rohingya to disembark, citing concerns about potential unrest. Despite this, the community has provided the group with food, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has also offered assistance.
The Rohingya group set sail from Cox's Bazar on October 9, aiming to reach Malaysia. It was reported that some passengers had paid for transportation to other countries. Of the initial 216 individuals on board, 50 disembarked in Indonesia's Riau province, according to police reports.
Authorities in Aceh have arrested three suspects for alleged involvement in people smuggling. Indonesia, along with Thailand and Malaysia, is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention but often provides temporary shelter to refugees in distress.
The Rohingya, a persecuted Muslim minority from Myanmar, have faced discrimination and violence, with many seeking refuge in neighboring countries like Bangladesh. The 2017 counterinsurgency campaign by Myanmar's security forces led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya, who were subjected to mass atrocities.
In a separate incident earlier this year, Indonesian officials and local fishermen rescued 75 individuals from a capsized boat off the coast of Aceh. Tragically, 67 passengers, including numerous children, lost their lives in the incident, with reports of mistreatment by the boat's crew emerging.
