Jakarta, Oct. 31, (dpa/GNA) – At least six Rohingya refugees died at sea as a group of 96 landed on the coast of Indonesia’s Aceh province early Thursday, authorities said.
The group have joined a growing number of Rohingya refugees fleeing the harsh conditions in refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, after they escaped violence in their home country Myanmar.
“Preliminary information suggests the victims drowned while trying to reach land,” East Aceh police chief Nova Suryandaru said.
The Rohingya are one of the world’s most persecuted minorities. They have faced decades of discrimination and violence in Myanmar, culminating in a brutal military crackdown in 2017 that forced hundreds of thousands to flee to neighbouring countries, primarily Bangladesh.
Aceh, a province with a strong Islamic identity and a history of its own struggle for independence, has often shown compassion for the plight of the Rohingya.
Over the years, the province has welcomed numerous Rohingya refugees, providing them with shelter and humanitarian aid.
However, the influx of refugees also presents challenges for the province, which itself has faced economic and social difficulties.
The Indonesian government has called for greater international cooperation to address the Rohingya crisis and to find a lasting solution to the conflict in Myanmar.
GNA