Indonesia must allow a boat filled with Rohingya refugees fleeing persecution by the military government in Myanmar to disembark safely in its Aceh province, the United Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said on Wednesday
UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th December, 2021) Indonesia must allow a boat filled with Rohingya refugees fleeing persecution by the military government in Myanmar to disembark safely in its Aceh province, the United Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said on Wednesday.
"To prevent a needless loss of life, the agency strongly urges the Indonesian Government to allow the passengers to safely and immediately disembark," the UNHCR said in a statement.
The UNHCR called for the immediate, life-saving disembarkation of the refugees who had been in distress at sea off the coast of Indonesia. It said that it was "deeply concerned for the safety and lives of those onboard."
The boat was first sighted in the waters off Bireuen, a district in Aceh province, on Sunday. Based on photos and reports from local fishermen, the passengers on the packed boat were overwhelmingly women and children who had suffered a seven month ordeal at sea, the statement said.
The boat, which reportedly is leaking and has a damaged engine, is floating in the open seas in harsh weather and may be at risk of capsizing. Local officials have provided food, medicine, a new boat engine and a technician to help repair the craft and will push it back to international waters once it was fixed, the statement added.
