JAKARTA: A boat carrying scores of Rohingya refugees including women and children broke down and was stranded in waters off the coast of Aceh province on Indonesia’s Sumatra island, local authorities and humanitarian groups said on Monday.
Rohingya refugees from Myanmar have for years sailed to countries such as Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia between November and April when the seas are calm.
The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Monday the boat carrying the Rohingya was spotted on Sunday in waters off Bireuen, Aceh and it was working with local authorities to rescue the group.
There were about 70 refugees in the boat, Amnesty International’s Indonesia branch said, citing local authorities.
Badruddin Jusuf, a local fishing community leader, estimated the number aboard at 120 and said they had been given food.
Amnesty said fishermen had appealed to local authorities to rescue the stranded Rohingya.
“There needs to be joint responsibility between regional countries to conduct search and rescue so that (refugees) can avoid dangers at sea...,” said Amnesty Indonesia executive director Usman Hamid.
More than 730,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar in August 2017 after a military crackdown that refugees said included mass killings and rape. Rights groups documented killings of civilians and burning of villages.
Myanmar authorities say they were battling an insurgency and deny carrying out systematic atrocities.
Hundreds of Rohingya refugees have reached Aceh at intervals over the past few years, all of whom had been at sea for months.
Boat carrying Rohingya refugees stranded off Indonesia’s Aceh
https://arab.news/c4hqy
Boat carrying Rohingya refugees stranded off Indonesia’s Aceh
- More than 730,000 Rohingya Muslims fled Myanmar in August 2017 after a military crackdown
- UNHCR said the boat carrying the Rohingya was spotted on Sunday in waters off Bireuen, Aceh
Suspect in Michigan synagogue attack is dead, AP source says
- The person confirmed the death at the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield Township
- Patel said agents were on scene of an “apparent vehicle ramming and active shooter situation” at the synagogue
MICHIGAN, USA: The suspect in an attack on a synagogue in Michigan is dead, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press, after a sheriff said security at the largest Reform Synagogue in the US had engaged in gunfire.
The person confirmed the death at the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, but did not provide additional details. The person could not publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
The person said no one else was reported injured.
Oakland County Sheriff Sheriff Mike Bouchard confirmed during an earlier news conference that security at the synagogue had engaged in gunfire with at least one person, and that no one was in custody.
WDIV-TV reported that a truck had crashed into the synagogue. Smoke could be seen billowing from the synagogue’s roof. Footage from the scene shows dozens of police vehicles surrounding the building.
FBI Director Kash Patel said agents were on scene of an “apparent vehicle ramming and active shooter situation” at the synagogue.
The Oakland County Sheriff’s office said authorities are clearing the building. About a dozen parents sprinted to get their children from an early childhood learning center inside the building after getting approval from police. West Bloomfield School District went on lockdown.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued a statement saying she was tracking developments.
“This is heartbreaking,” the governor said. “Michigan’s Jewish community should be able to live and practice their faith in peace.”
Temple Israel calls itself the nation’s largest Reform synagogue, with 12,000 members. according to its website. It has an early childhood education center and offers educational programs for families and adults.
The website says the synagogue is “passionate about helping Jewish communities across the globe” and that its mission is to “create a community building through the lens of Reform Judaism.”
The Jewish Federation of Detroit advised all Jewish organizations in the area “to go into lockout protocol — nobody in or out of your building.”
