Overview

• Indonesia's navy has forcibly pushed a boat carrying Rohingya refugees back to international waters after it approached the shores of Aceh province.
• Over 1,500 Rohingya refugees have arrived in Aceh since November, leaving overcrowded camps in Bangladesh, and have faced hostility from local residents.
• Students in Aceh have protested against the growing number of Rohingya refugees, demanding their deportation and claiming their presence brings social and economic upheaval.
• Indonesia, like Thailand and Malaysia, is not a signatory to the United Nations' 1951 Refugee Convention and is not obligated to accept the Rohingya refugees.
• President Joko Widodo's government is under pressure to take action due to the growing hostility towards the Rohingya, and has blamed the recent surge in arrivals on human trafficking.