Students force Rohingya refugees out of shelter

More than 1500 have arrived on the shores of Aceh province since November in the biggest influx for eight years.

The Rohingya after their ejection in Banda Aceh on Wednesday. Picture: AFP

Hundreds of university students in Indonesia’s westernmost province stormed a temporary shelter for more than a hundred Rohingya refugees on Wednesday, forcing them to leave, in the latest rejection of the persecuted Myanmar minority.

More than 1500 Rohingya refugees have arrived on the shores of Aceh province since November in what the UN says is the biggest influx for eight years. Some of their boats have faced rejection by locals, and in some cases have been returned to sea.

The students, many wearing jackets with different universities’ insignias, entered a government function hall in the capital, Banda Aceh, where 137 Rohingya refugees were staying. The students, chanting “kick them out” and “reject Rohingyas in Aceh”, demanded they be moved to a local immigration office so they could be deported.

Some women and children were in tears while men who had been praying looked to the ground. The protesters were also involved in a scuffle with police guarding the frightened refugees but officers ultimately permitted their removal.

The students burned tyres and prepared trucks for the Rohingyas to be moved. Police helped them board before they were taken to another government office nearby.

AFP