Saved migrants not wanted in Indonesia

– Dozens of Rohingya refugees saved after their boat capsized off Indonesia’s westernmost coast last week, have been forced from their temporary shelter due to local protests, a United Nations refugee agency official said yesterday.

The mostly Muslim ethnic Rohingya are heavily persecuted in Myanmar and thousands risk their lives each year on long and expensive sea journeys to try to reach Malaysia or Indonesia.

But the influx of refugees has sparked anger in Indonesia’s Aceh province, where some locals have pushed boats carrying Rohingya back into the sea or tried to storm their temporary shelters in recent months.

The survivors of last week’s capsizing were taken a 10-minute drive away to the local government chief’s office in West Aceh, UNHCR protection associate Faisal Rahman said. “They are moved to the backyard of the bupati [local regent] office.”

Authorities last Thursday rescued 69 Rohingya refugees found after clinging to the hull of their overturned vessel for more than a day. Six others were rescued by fishermen a day earlier.

At least 11 were found dead at sea after rescuers called off the search on Friday, despite some survivors saying more than 150 people had been aboard the boat.

The survivors were given shelter in an old Red Cross building in West Aceh regency, but dozens of locals stormed the facility on Tuesday to demand their eviction, forcing authorities to move the group of 75 refugees.

Indonesia foreign ministry spokesperson Lalu Muhamad Iqbal said yesterday they gave the migrants temporary shelter. –