Responding to reports that a boat carrying Rohingya is currently off the coast of Indonesia and seeking safety, Wirya Adiwena, Deputy Director at Amnesty International Indonesia said:
“With at least one boat of Rohingya refugees known to be in urgent need of search and rescue, we urge the government to act immediately to save lives.
We call on the government to coordinate a search and rescue mission for the boat, allow it to land safely and provide life saving humanitarian assistance to those on board.
Rohingya people have resorted to perilous journeys at sea to flee persecution and the condition of boats is usually desperate. Any further delay could have terrible deadly consequences.”
Background
Amnesty International has received reports that at least one boat of Rohingya refugees is currently off the coast of Aceh, Indonesia (in the Malacca Strait) and requires urgent humanitarian assistance. The boat is allegedly carrying between 180-200 people of whom one third are female and 16 are children. The reports also said they are in dire conditions with no food and water left.
In 2022, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has reported a six fold increase of mostly Rohingya people making risky journeys by sea from Myanmar and Bangladesh. At least 119 people have been reported dead or missing.
*Photo: Archive (BPBD North Aceh 2020)