Indonesian fishermen rescue Rohingya off Sumatra

By Ainur Rohmah

YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia (AA) – Fishermen from Indonesia’s Aceh province rescued five Rohingya Muslims off the island of Sumatra early Friday after they were stranded at sea for nearly three weeks.

East Aceh Police Chief Adjunct Commissioner Wahyu Kuncoro told Anadolu Agency on Saturday that the two men, two women and a child were rescued about 176 miles from East Aceh’s mainland.

"According to their testimony, they had been adrift for 20 days on a small boat," said Kuncoro.

He said the refugees initially numbered 10, but five of them died from a lack of food and their bodies were thrown overboard.

The Rohingya, described by the UN as the world's most persecuted people, have faced heightened fears of attack since dozens were killed in communal violence in 2012

Since Aug. 25, 2017, more than 750,000 refugees, mostly children and women, have fled Myanmar and crossed into Bangladesh after Myanmar forces launched a crackdown on the minority Muslim community, according to Amnesty International.

At least 9,000 Rohingya were killed in Rakhine state from Aug. 25 to Sept. 24, according to Doctors Without Borders. In a report published on Dec. 12, 2017, the global humanitarian organization said the deaths of 71.7 percent or 6,700 Rohingya were caused by violence. They include 730 children below the age of 5.

The UN has documented mass gang rapes, killings -- including of infants and young children -- brutal beatings and disappearances committed by security personnel. In a report, UN investigators said such violations may have constituted crimes against humanity.