ACEH, RAKYAT NEWS—The East Aceh Regency’s Agency for National Unity and Politics has reported that five Rohingya refugees, who were temporarily housed at Kuala Parek Beach, Sungai Raya district, East Aceh regency, have escaped.

Samsul Bahri, Head of Political Governance and Security for the East Aceh Agency for National Unity and Politics, stated on Friday that the five Rohingya refugees were discovered missing on Friday, May 24th, at approximately 2:30 AM.

“Their absence was noticed when officers checked the tents. Upon inspection, five refugees were found missing,” Samsul Bahri told Antara.

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The missing individuals have been identified as Rehana Begum (21), Umar Faruk (5), Samira Begum (16), Fatima, and Shamjida. It is suspected that their escape was facilitated by external assistance.

“We believe that the five Rohingya refugees escaped from the temporary shelter with help from someone else,” Samsul Bahri added.

Previously, on Thursday, February 1st, at around 4:00 AM, a group of 137 Rohingya refugees landed at Kuala Parek Beach, Sungai Raya District, East Aceh Regency. The group comprised 40 adult men, 47 adult women, 23 girls, and 27 boys.

These refugees had departed from Cox’s Bazar, a refugee camp in Bangladesh, aboard a wooden boat on December 5th, 2023. After drifting at sea for 55 days, they finally landed at Kuala Parek Beach.

The Rohingya refugees in Aceh, Indonesia, are facing a challenging situation. Since November 2023, there has been a significant increase in arrivals, with over 1,700 refugees, primarily women and children, reaching Aceh and North Sumatra (Ruknuddin)