400 Rohingya people arrive in Indonesia, contributing to the recent wave of migration.

 400 Rohingya people arrive in Indonesia, contributing to the recent wave of migration.

                                                                Source reuters.com

Dec. 10, Jakarta (Reuters) - According to the head of a regional fishing community, dilapidated boats carrying an estimated 400 ethnic Rohingya arrived in Indonesia's Aceh province on Sunday, adding to the recent influx of Muslims from Myanmar.

The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) reported that 1,200 Rohingya, a minority group fleeing Myanmar that faces persecution, had arrived in Indonesia as of Sunday.

Two boats, one in each of the districts of Pidie and Aceh Besar, arrived in the province early on Sunday morning, according to Miftah Cut Ade, the head of the fishing community in Aceh.

He added that each boat held about 200 Rohingya.

Around 180 Rohingya arrived in Pidie at 4 a.m. (2100 GMT), according to Andi Susanto, a local military official, and officers were coordinating in the field to gather information.

Susanto stated that the military was aware of a second boat, but she was unsure of its location or the number of people on board.

In a statement released on Friday, Indonesian President Joko Widodo expressed his suspicion that human trafficking is the cause of the current rise in boat arrivals and pledged to collaborate with international groups to address the problem.

Despite not being a signatory to the 1951 United Nations Convention on Refugees, Indonesia has a tradition of welcoming newcomers to its borders.

However, the large number of new arrivals has led to opposition on social media and some pushback from residents in Aceh, the westernmost area where the majority of boats land.

The Rohingya have been fleeing the predominantly Buddhist country of Myanmar for many years, as they face mistreatment, denial of citizenship, and common perception as alien intruders from South Asia.

Every year, between November and April, when the seas are calmer, members of the persecuted minority depart for adjacent Thailand, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, which is home to the majority Muslim population.

Source reuters.com