Hundreds of Royingis are rejected in Indonesia

Hundreds of Royingis are rejected in Indonesia

Published 2023-11-21 22.44

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full screen Rohingya refugees who arrived in Aceh province this weekend are being given temporary protection, but the UN fears they could be sent out to sea again. The picture is from Monday. Photo: Rafka Zaidan/AP/TT

Around 200 Rohingya refugees have arrived in western Indonesia during Tuesday. Thus, over 1,100 refugees from Myanmar have arrived in the last week, according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR.

They have all come to Aceh province, where Rohingya were previously reported to have been rejected by local residents.

Those who arrived on Tuesday came to the town of Sabang, and UNHCR’s Faisal Rahman says the organization is trying to persuade the city’s government to let those in need stay and get food and shelter.

– The situation on site is not good. The rejection virus has spread everywhere, he says.

– There is a great risk that the people will force (the rulers) to push the refugees back to the sea, but we must hope that this does not happen.

Local residents say they do not have the resources to help the refugees, who in many cases have spent weeks at sea, often without enough water and food.

The Rohingya people are oppressed in Myanmar and many try to escape to Malaysia or Indonesia.

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