Rohingya boats return to seas: 20 men land on the island of Sumatra

All aged between 20 and 40, they landed in the city of Kuala Idi and received food and water. Since 2015, when the Thai authorities have dismantled the regional networks of human traffickers, it was rare for the Rohingya to attempt to sail the southern maritime routes.

Jakarta (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The landing of a group of men on the Indonesian coast is fueling fears of a reopening of the routes for the Rohingya migrant boats, fleeing from the refugee camps of the border regions between Myanmar and Bangladesh. The Jakarta authorities announce that this morning a boat carrying 20 men believed to be Rohingya (photo) has landed on the northeastern coast of the island of Sumatra.

The East Aceh Disaster Mitigation Agency reports that the men, all aged between 20 and 40, landed in the city of Kuala Idi and have received food and water. Immigration authorities are reaching the region to interrogate the group. Iswandi, the head of the district of Idi Rayeuk, however, says: "We cannot communicate with them because they do not speak Indonesian, Achee or English, so we do not know much". Jakarta still does not know if the boat is registered in Myanmar or Bangladesh.

Razali, head of a fishing community in the area, says the men were headed to Malaysia and it is not clear why they landed in Indonesia. Theirs is the latest in a series of departures from the coasts of Myanmar and Bangladesh, where in recent weeks Rohingya Muslims have tried to flee to Malaysia, causing apprehension for a new wave of migrants. Since 2015, when the Thai authorities have dismantled the regional networks of human traffickers, it was rare for the Rohingya to attempt to sail the southern maritime routes. Following the Bangkok crackdown, thousands of Rohingya had landed in Indonesia and Malaysia after being stuck in the Andaman Sea.

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