The group arrived at Jangka beach, near Alue Buya Pasi in Bireuen district on Sunday morning. Badruddin Yunus said that the leaders of the tribal fishing community helped the group to land on Jangka beach near Alue Buya Pasi, where they were greeted by 114 ethnic Rohingya.
Yunus said that the group looked very weak after suffering from hunger and dehydration during a long, severe voyage at sea. Yunus also stated that it was not clear from where they were traveling to or where they were going because no one could speak English or Malay.
Yunus stated that the 58 men, 21 ladies, and 35 children were provided shelter by villagers and police, and were assisted by military personnel and local authorities, including the coronavirus taskforce.
Since August 2017, more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar’s Buddhist-majority Myanmar and have sought refuge in Bangladeshi camps. This was after the Myanmar military launched an operation to clear the area in response to rebel attacks. Myanmar security forces are accused of mass rapes and killings as well as the burning of thousands upon thousands of homes.
Rohingya groups have tried to escape the cramped camps of Bangladesh and travel by boat to dangerous destinations in other Muslim-majority nations in the region.
The boats have often landed in Malaysia, a country dominated by Muslims. Traffickers promise refugees a better life. Many Rohingya refugees that land in Malaysia are detained.
While Indonesia is not a signatory of the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, UNHCR stated that a 2016 presidential regulation provided a legal framework for Indonesian refugees who are in distress on boats near Indonesia.
These provisions have been in place for many years. Most recently, in December, 105 Rohingya refugees were rescued from Bireuen towards Lhokseumawe (a coastal town in North Aceh).
