About 250 Rohingya refugees in Indonesia sent back to sea

Rohingya Muslims walk through waters after they are temporarily allowed by locals to land in Ulee Madon beach, North Aceh on Nov 16, 2023. -Reuters

JAKARTA: About 250 Rohingya refugees in an overcrowded wooden boat have been turned away from western Indonesia and sent back to sea, residents said Friday (Nov 17).

The group from the persecuted Myanmar minority arrived off the coast of Aceh province on Thursday but angry locals told them not to land the boat. Some refugees then swam ashore and collapsed from exhaustion on the beach.