“COULD NOT FIND THEM”
On Wednesday, six Rohingya from the same vessel were rescued by fishermen.
One of those survivors said dozens of refugees had been swept away by currents and were missing or feared dead.
“He said the boat took 151 people. Once the boat capsized approximately around 50 people (were) maybe missing and passed away,” Rahman said.
“We are still coordinating with respective government agencies to do our best to save as many lives as possible.”
Local police and the regional government did not respond to requests for comment.
From mid-November to late January, 1,752 refugees, mostly women and children, landed in the Indonesian provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Hundreds remain in shelters.
The agency said it was the biggest influx into the Muslim-majority country since 2015.
Some Rohingya boats landing in Aceh in recent months have been pushed back out to sea as sentiment towards the minority group shifts in the ultra-conservative Indonesian province.
Many Acehnese, who themselves have memories of decades of bloody conflict, are sympathetic to the plight of their fellow Muslims.
But others say their patience has been tested, claiming the Rohingyas consume scarce resources and occasionally come into conflict with locals.
Source: CNA
