6 dead as dozens of Rohingya refugees ‘stranded’ on Indonesia beach by traffickers

Human traffickers left dozens of Rohingya refugees, including children, stranded on a shoreline in westernmost Indonesia on Thursday, while six dead bodies were found nearby, local officials said.

Members of the persecuted minority risk their lives each year on long and dangerous sea journeys, often crowding into rickety boats in the hopes of reaching Malaysia or Indonesia.

The refugees were abandoned before dawn on Thursday around 100 metres off a beach in Aceh Province, said Saiful Anwar, a village official in East Aceh.

The group included 46 women, 37 men and seven children, he said, while locals found two bodies on the shore and four floating in the sea.

“According to information from residents, these people were stranded at around 4am. It seems like there was a boat that brought them,” Saiful said.

Eight sick refugees were taken for medical treatment, he said.