Over 300 Rohingya Muslims fleeing Myanmar arrive in Indonesia's Aceh region

10/12/2023 16:46

                Two boats carrying more than 300 Rohingya Muslims, including emaciated women and children, arrived at Indonesia's northernmost province of Aceh on Sunday morning after being adrift for over weeks
        
        One boat, which had been at sea for about one and a half months and carrying 135 passengers, arrived at a beach in Lamreh village in Aceh Besar Regency. Shahidul Islam, a 34-year-old survivor, said they left their refugee camp in Bangladesh. "The boat was sinking. We had no food or water left."
        
        The other boat carrying nearly 180 people docked at a beach in Blang Raya village at Pidie Regency. It has been adrift in the Andaman Sea without adequate supplies for about 27 days. Mahmud Husein, 25, a survivor, said he gave 40,000 taka ($363) to the boat owner to help him leave Bangaldesh.
        
        "We came to Indonesia, but we want to go to other countries if other countries want to help us," Husein said.