BURMESE AND BANGLADESHI REFUGEES IN ACEH

UNCLAS JAKARTA 000039 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MTS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF ID SUBJECT: BURMESE AND BANGLADESHI REFUGEES IN ACEH ¶1. Summary. 177 Burmese and 16 Bangladeshi refugees were rescued by Indonesian fisherman off of the island of Sabang in Aceh after drifting through the Indian Ocean for nearly a week. The refugees were bound for Malaysia and are currently at a naval base at Sabang pending a decision from the Indonesian foreign ministry about what should be done next. End Summary. ¶2. On January 8, Indonesian fishermen off the coast of Aceh discovered a boat with 193 refugees from Bangladesh and Burma drifting 38km north of Aceh province's Wei Island. All but two of the refugees were adult males, the two remaining being teen-aged boys. The refugees, 177 of whom are Burmese and 16 of whom are Bangladeshis, were rescued and taken to a local Indonesian naval base. The refugees claim that their boat had been disabled by a storm and that they had been drifting for a week in the Indian Ocean. Naval officials told Indonesian media that they believe the refugees were headed for Malaysia. ¶3. The refugees are currently housed at the Sabang navy base on Wei Island pending a decision from the Indonesian Department of Foreign Affairs about what should be done with the refugees. A senior ministry official is at Sabang now. Local officials in Sabang told Consulate Medan on January 9 that they believed the refugees would eventually be transferred to immigration facilities in North Sumatra. Authorities told the local media that the refugees were suffering from malnutrition and dehydration, with one minor injury also reported. Forty-three of the refugees were transferred to Sabang General Hospital after their boat was towed to the Sabang Naval Base. A further 36 refugees are in the Sabang Naval Hospital. Sabang island officials and the local chapter of the Indonesian Red Cross have also promised aid and logistical assistance. IOM representatives are also standing by to assist but have not yet been given access to the group as of January 9. HEFFERN