Rohingya Refugees Should Be Assisted with a Comprehensive Approach

Jakarta, MINA – Responding to the tragedy of rejection by some students and residents in Aceh who “rejected” Rohingya refugees, Deputy Chair of the MPR Muhammad Hidayat Nur Wahid (HNW) expressed his concern about this issue.

According to him, especially if it is related to Islam between Rohingya refugees and Acehnese people who have experienced political crimes and especially if they are both Muslims, it is very important that there is no expulsion or rejection.

However, HNW said that the problem of the arrival of Rohingya refugees must be addressed comprehensively.

“The Rohingya refugee problem is not a simple problem. “Apart from those related to repression by the Myanmar regime, there is also the issue of human trafficking, and even efforts to discredit Indonesia, which is also known to defend the Palestinian people,” he said, as reported by the Parliamentary, quoted by MINA on Thursday.

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According to PKS party politicians, the arrival of boat people in waves to Indonesia requires seriousness and the presence of many parties, not only the Aceh government but also the central government, ASEAN and the international community.

In fact, the root of the problem must also be resolved, namely stopping repression by the Myanmar government and granting citizenship status to the Rohingya people as previously promised when they both fought for the independence of Burma, which later became Myanmar, in 1948.

In terms of responding to the arrival of boat people, the Chairman of the Pondok Modern Darussalam Waqf Board, Gontor, revealed that Indonesia already has experience in successfully helping/receiving hundreds of thousands of boat people from Vietnam even though their religion is not Islam. They were placed on Galang Island, Riau Islands.

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At that time Indonesia was supported by the UN agency that deals with refugee issues, UNHCR. “At that time, UNHCR fully supported the process of accepting and financing refugees from Vietnam,” he said.

Based on Indonesia’s success in handling Vietnamese refugees, HNW emphasized that UNHCR must be involved in the Rohingya refugee problem.

According to alumni of the University of Madinah, Saudi Arabia, Rohingya refugees who have landed in Indonesia need help, but so as not to cause friction with the community, it is better for them to be placed in special areas, such as on Galang Island or other islands.

According to HNW, placing them on other islands is very possible because Indonesia has many uninhabited islands. “This is done so as not to come into contact and cause problems with local residents,” he explained.

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According to him, Rohingya refugees do not have Indonesia as their final destination. They are looking for countries that provide political and humanitarian asylum, such as Australia and Canada.

To go to Australia and Canada, on Galang Island or other empty islands, they are accommodated. There, Rohingya refugees are empowered with UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies in a humane manner so that they are ready to continue the process of searching for their destination country.

“As the founding country of ASEAN, with the largest number of Muslims, it is natural for Indonesia to play a more active and effective role, taking sides in resolving the Rohingya problem in a fair and permanent manner. “For peace and justice in ASEAN,” he concluded. (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)