Rohingya refugees on the boat anchored off the coast of South Aceh on Monday. Photo: AFP
Rohingya refugees on the boat anchored off the coast of South Aceh on Monday. Photo: AFP
Rohingya refugees on the boat anchored off the coast of South Aceh on Monday. Photo: AFP
Rohingya refugees on the boat anchored off the coast of South Aceh on Monday. Photo: AFP

At least one dead as boat carrying 100 Rohingya refugees stranded off Indonesian coast


Anjana Sankar
  • English
  • Arabic

A boat carrying about 100 Rohingya refugees has been left stranded off the coast of north-western Indonesia, with at least one person dead as immigration authorities in Aceh province decide whether to allow the group to come ashore.

Volunteers and activists monitoring the boat said passengers received assistance from authorities and four were taken to hospital, but the refugees had not been given clearance to dock. The vessel was first spotted on Friday about 6km from the coast of Aceh. Volunteers set off to deliver food and water to the stranded refugees.

Yuhelmi, a spokesman for the South Aceh district, told AFP that locals were waiting for an immigration team from the provincial capital Banda Aceh. “Whether they will be brought on land, that’s within the authority of the immigration. For now, there has been no decision,” he said.

A video on social media showed an overcrowded boat adrift in the ocean with a woman’s body on board. The body was wrapped in cloth and surrounded by other passengers, including children. “I saw with my own eyes there was a body. There were many children aboard,” local community leader Muhammad Jabal told AFP.

The day before the boat was sighted, the body of a Rohingya woman was found at sea.

The Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority who have been heavily persecuted in Myanmar, often make perilous boat journeys seeking refuge in neighbouring countries including Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia. More than a million live in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh after fleeing Myanmar's military, which has been accused by the US of “genocide” against the Rohingya.

Last year, more than 4,500 Rohingya, the majority women and children, fled Myanmar and Bangladesh by boat, according to the UN's refugee agency. Of those, 569 died or went missing, the highest number since 2014. Between November 2023 and last month, 15 boats carrying 2,000 Rohingya refugees landed in the Indonesian provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said.

Rohingya refugees on the boat anchored off the coast of South Aceh on Monday. Photo: AFP
Rohingya refugees on the boat anchored off the coast of South Aceh on Monday. Photo: AFP

On Thursday, a group of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar were found dead in a remote area of southern Thailand after they were loaded on to refrigerated cargo lorries by human traffickers, a report by Human Rights Watch said. In March, a boat carrying 142 Rohingya capsized off the coast of West Aceh in Indonesia, killing 67 passengers including 27 children.

Rights groups are calling on the Indonesian government and other Asian countries to offer greater protection and humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya.

“Indonesia has displayed strong solidarity and humanity in the past by allowing Rohingya refugees to disembark and should continue to do so,” said Fadil Usman, humanitarian director at Save the Children. “Nobody should have to put their life at risk to make perilous journeys by sea in search of a better life, but this is sadly the reality for Rohingya refugees who have undertaken dangerous sea journeys, often in boats that are not seaworthy, to seek protection, to access livelihoods and education, and to reunite with families.”

There has been a rise in the number of Rohingya boats landing in Indonesia over the last two years amid fighting in Myanmar between the military and rebel groups and declining humanitarian support in Bangladesh.

Last month, the UN refugee agency said more funding was needed to help those displaced. “The UNHCR estimates that $2.2 million will be required to respond to the needs of the current population and anticipated new arrivals in 2024. Only a fraction of needed funding has been received by UNHCR to date.”

Pathaan
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Siddharth%20Anand%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shah%20Rukh%20Khan%2C%20Deepika%20Padukone%2C%20John%20Abraham%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
  • Riders must be 14-years-old or over
  • Wear a protective helmet
  • Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
  • Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
  • Do not drive outside designated lanes
Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Nope'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jordan%20Peele%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Daniel%20Kaluuya%2C%20Keke%20Palmer%2C%20Brandon%20Perea%2C%20Steven%20Yeun%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO

Real Madrid 2

Vinicius Junior (71') Mariano (90 2')

Barcelona 0

RESULTS

1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,200m
Winner: Lady Parma, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
2.15pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,200m
Winner: Tabernas, Connor Beasley, Ahmed bin Harmash.
2.45pm: Handicap Dh95,000 1,200m
Winner: Night Castle, Connor Beasley, Satish Seemar.
3.15pm: Handicap Dh120,000 1,400m
Winner: Mystique Moon, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
3.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Mutawakked, Szczepan Mazur, Musabah Al Muhairi.
4.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,800m
Winner: Tafaakhor, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,950m
Winner: Cranesbill, Fabrice Veron, Erwan Charpy.

What are NFTs?

Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.

You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”

However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.

This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”

This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.

Jetour T1 specs

Engine: 2-litre turbocharged

Power: 254hp

Torque: 390Nm

Price: From Dh126,000

Available: Now

WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

Updated: October 21, 2024, 1:11 PM`