JakkartaGlobe-Jan 6
Indonesia is still facing a great dilemma on the Rohingya — the Muslim minority group who have fled their homes in the predominantly Buddhist Myanmar to escape violence. Over the past months, boats carrying Rohingya refugees have landed on the shores of Aceh, the westernmost province of the Muslim-majority Indonesia. The influx of refugees, which can reach over a hundred people on each arrival, has faced local protests. The residents used to be more welcoming of the refugees, but resentment grew following more arrivals. A large crowd of university students not long ago stormed a shelter in Banda Aceh, demanding that the refugees get deported. The protests sparked concerns among humanitarian organizations. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said on Dec. 8 that Indonesia would provide temporary humanitarian assistance while prioritizing the needs of the local communities. Jokowi alleged a human trafficking network had brought in the Rohingya refugees into Indonesia. However, Indonesia is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention. The archipelagic country bears no legal obligation to accommodate refugees. “Indonesia does not have an obligation to accept the refugees, let alone give a permanent solution for refugees. We are only accepting the refugees solely because of humanitarian reasons. Ironically, countries that signed the convention are closing their doors, and even pushing those refugees back,” Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Lalu Muhammad Iqbal told reporters via text on Nov. 16, 2023. Read more at: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/indonesia-faces-dilemma-on-rohingya-refugees
