BANDA ACEH: More than 100 Rohingya refugees, including women and children, were rescued after their boat sank off the coast of Indonesia, the United Nations refugee agency announced on Saturday (November 30).
The predominantly Muslim ethnic group Rohingyas are heavily persecuted in Myanmar and thousands of people risk their lives every year in long and dangerous sea journeys to reach Malaysia or Indonesia.
“We received a report from the East Aceh government that there are 116 refugees in total,” Faisal Rahman of the UNHCR told AFP on Saturday.
“The refugees are still on the beach at the moment, it has not yet been decided where they will be taken.”
He said the fragile wooden boat carrying the Rohingya was found half-submerged not far from the beach off the northeast coast of Sumatra island.
A local fisherman, Saifudin Taher, said the boat was first spotted entering East Aceh waters on Saturday morning and hours later almost sank.
“All the passengers survived, but one of them was sick and… was immediately treated,” Saifudin told AFP, adding that the boat was only 100 meters from the beach and that refugees could easily reach safety on foot.
