Banda Aceh. Ninety-three Rohingya refugees arrived illegally on the coast of Aceh early Thursday, bringing with them six deceased individuals, local authorities reported.

The refugees were found stranded on the coast of East Aceh’s Madat District, where the bodies of six individuals were laid on the ground, covered with sarongs.

“The bodies have not yet been buried due to required procedures for foreign nationals,” said Munawir, head of East Aceh’s health department.

“Preliminary information indicates they died while at sea, but the police are investigating the exact cause of death,” he added.

Syamsul Bahri, head of the regency’s political affairs and security agency, reported that the refugees arrived around 4 a.m.

“Our team is currently documenting all the refugees, and so far, we have accounted for 93 people,” Syamsul said.

The refugees reportedly disembarked from their boat offshore and swam to Meunasah Hasan village in East Aceh. Local officials are coordinating with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other international organizations to assist in handling the situation.

Indonesia has increasingly become a destination for the predominantly Muslim Rohingya, who seek to escape persecution in Myanmar. The previous government under President Joko Widodo implemented strict measures to dismantle “people smuggling syndicates” profiting from transporting refugees into Indonesia.

Despite these efforts, hundreds of Rohingya refugees continue to land in Aceh and nearby provinces every month, facing opposition from local residents and often enduring mistreatment by smugglers, who sometimes force them to swim ashore to avoid detection by Indonesian patrols.

In March, a local search and rescue team recovered nine bodies believed to be Rohingya refugees after a boat carrying dozens capsized off Aceh. The following day, rescuers found 69 refugees stranded on the overturned hull, while others remained unaccounted for.

Indonesia, which is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention, has maintained that it is under no formal obligation to accept refugees.

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