The Indonesian government has allowed a stranded boat carrying 120 Rohingya refugees near Aceh province to dock, the authorities said on Wednesday, relenting under pressure from rights groups. The boat was first sighted in waters off the coast of Bireuen on Dec. 26. The boat was leaking and damaged, with dozens of Rohingya refugees onboard, including women and children, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a statement. Indonesian authorities on Tuesday had said they would turn away the vessel, and would only help to repair the boat and provide humanitarian aid, such as food, medicine, and water for the refugees. “The Rohingya are not Indonesian citizens, we can’t just bring them in even as refugees. This is in line with government policy,” local navy official Dian Suryansyah said. The Rohingya refugees came from Burma, also known as Myanmar, who have been denied citizenship since a Burmese …
Indonesia Allows Rohingya Boat of Refugees to Dock, Amid Pressure From Rights Groups
December 31, 2021
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