Nearly 400 Rohingya migrants rescued off the Indonesian Coast

ImageCourtesy: samaa.tv

Nearly 400 migrants have been rescued by fishermen off the coast of Indonesia, in the Strait of Malacca. The rescue operation took place at around 2am and hundreds of Rohingya migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh, stranded in the sea, were rescued and taken to the Simpang Tiga village, in the East Aceh district of Indonesia.

The rescue has come in as ministers from Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia hold an emergency meeting on the issue – appearing to be turning into a massive humanitarian crisis – in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The pressure on these three countries has been mounting to help the migrants.

The three nations, despite a plea from the UN Secretary-General, have remained stubborn on their refusal to accommodate the fleeing migrants, sick of persecution in Myanmar and poverty in Bangladesh.

The migrants stranded on boats were starving and dehydrated, officials told the press, and were hence given first aid, food, water and comfortable place as soon as they were rescued from their boats. Migrants from two boats were rescued last night and early Wednesday, respectively, including women and children.

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About Suyash Karangutkar

Suyash Karangutkar is a young, dedicated and an enthusiastic journalist who has a deep interest in National and International Affairs. He is an ardent political spectator who finds politics fascinating. At Spectralhues, he heads the Mumbai team and covers National Affairs & Politics. He also occasionally writes columns for Spectralhues. He can be followed on Twitter @columnistsuyash