Rights groups believe at least two boats carrying Rohingya, members of a Muslim minority from Myanmar, are off the coast of the Indonesian province of Aceh, but officials said they had no clear information. Refugees from two other boats have landed in Bangladesh since mid-April, many starving and emaciated after weeks at sea. Rohingya have made perilous voyages to Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia for years, fleeing persecution in Myanmar and poverty in refugee camps in Bangladesh. The vast majority fled a military crackdown in Myanmar in 2017 that the U.N has said was executed with genocidal intent. The Myanmar authorities deny genocide, saying it was a legitimate response to attacks by Rohingya militants.

Source: Dhaka Tribune May 15, 2020 12:56 UTC