Indonesia jails 3 Myanmar citizens for Rohingya trafficking

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - Indonesia has jailed at least three nationals from Myanmar for trafficking Rohingya into the Southeast Asian nation, local media reported.

The verdict to jail a Rohingya boat captain and his two assistants was delivered by a court in Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh province of the Southeast Asian nation.

Last December, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said that the growing number of Rohingya arriving in his country is probably due to human trafficking.

Mohammed Amin, the boat captain, was sentenced to eight years in prison while his two assistants Anisul Hoque, and Habibul Basyar were given a six-year jail term, the daily Jakarta Globe reported.

The trio was “legally and convincingly proven guilty of committing the crime of human trafficking," observed Chief Judge Fadhil at Jantho district court in Aceh Besar.

They have been fined as well.

Indonesian police had found that traffickers were charging each Rohingya transported to Indonesia between Rp 14 million ($860) and Rp 16 million.

Many Rohingya have died in the seas while taking boat journeys to Indonesia in search of a safe place.