A boat with 100 Rohingya refugees was adrift with the boat sinking off the coast of Indonesia in Late December. The group was allowed to land and leave the boat on Friday, December 31. The action came after intense international pressure to allow them to seek refuge. The Indonesian authorities relented after the international scrutiny.
The group consisted mostly of women and children. The people were crammed into the wooden boat with a sail crafted of canvas. Fierce rain and wind in the area exacerbated the boat’s situation. The Indonesian navy towed the boat, which was damaged, to shore. As the people disembarked, they were sprayed with disinfectant. The group was at sea for 28 days.