Fears for Rohingya boatpeople detained on Indonesian island

Fears have been raised about the welfare of 193 Rohingya boatpeople who have been detained in Aceh for more than two months, with some reportedly attempting to escape from the Indonesian Navy base where they are being held.

Munawar Liza Zein, mayor of Sabang Island where the group is being held, said he had regular access to the men, some of whom were struggling to cope after their ordeal. They were rescued on January 7 after being shipwrecked on nearby Rondo Island, having been cast adrift in a powerless boat by the Thai military on or about December 11.

'The refugees are in good physical health, but their mental state is starting to deteriorate,' Mr Munawar said. 'We have been noticing some cases of depression. Some of them have also attempted to escape from the camp, although we found them afterwards.'

He added that if left unchecked, this development could create a security problem.

'This is dangerous. If we don't take action, it will create another kind of problem. That's why we hope the central government will act quickly and separate the refugees into different camps, according to their motives,' he said.

The Indonesian government has announced that the 193 boatpeople, as well as a second group of 198 Rohingya rescued on February 3, will remain in Aceh until a decision is made on where they will be permanently settled.

The boatpeople were first classified as economic migrants by the Indonesian government. But a second verification process by the International Organisation for Migration stated that not all of them were in the same situation.