ACEH - GEOGRAPHY

News: More Rohingya refugees arrive in Indonesia despite rejection from locals

 

What's in the news?

       Nearly 150 Rohingya refugees, mostly hungry and weak women and children, have reached a beach in Indonesia’s North Sumatra province after weeks at sea in Aceh.

 

Key takeaways:

       Indonesia has appealed to the international community for help and intensified patrols of its waters due to a sharp rise in Rohingya refugees leaving overcrowded camps in Bangladesh since November.

 

Indonesia and Rohingyas:

       Over 1,500 Rohingya have arrived in Aceh and faced some hostility from fellow Muslims.

       Indonesia, like Thailand and Malaysia, is not a signatory to the United Nations’ 1951 Refugee Convention so is not obligated to accept the Rohingya.

       So far, refugees in distress have received at least temporary accommodation.