11 Myanmar Rohingya found dead after Indonesia boat capsize at Meulaboh area, say officials

Rescuers lift the body of a victim of a capsized Rohingya refugee boat from the waters off Aceh Jaya, Indonesia, Sunday, March 24, 2024. The bodies of a number of Rohingya refugees were found in the sea as the Indonesian authorities ended a search for survivors from a boat that capsized near Aceh province, the provincial search and rescue agency said Sunday. - AP

MEULABOH, Indonesia (AFP) : The bodies of at least 11 Rohingya refugees have been recovered off Indonesia's westernmost coast after their boat believed to be carrying around 150 people capsized last week, officials said Monday.

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