Some people don’t like that Indonesia wants to send almost 1,500 Rohingya people back to Myanmar, where they have been attacked and mistreated. People who work for human rights and people who just watch are worried about the government’s choice.
Rohingya People Rights: Feeling stressed out and out of place:
Aceh province, where most of the boats with Rohingya people land, is under a lot of stress, so the Indonesian government said they were going to send them back. The Coordinating Minister, Mohammad Mahfud MD, said that the problem needed to be talked about at the UN level. He also made it clear how bad things were.
Rohingya People Rights: Alternative solutions that could work:
The Rohingya could also be moved to an island near Singapore, where Vietnamese refugees were kept in the 1980s and 1990s, according to Vice President Ma’ruf Amin. But activists like Nadine Sherani say that sending them back to Myanmar is dangerous because bad things could happen there.
The Rohingya’s Fight:
The UN says that the Rohingya are one of the most abused groups of stateless people. The government of Myanmar has taken away their passports and basic rights. About 740,000 Rohingya had to leave their homes and go to Bangladesh during the 2017 military attack. A lot of people have taken risky boat trips to get to Indonesia in search of better times.
Rohingya People Rights: Bad things that happen and rising tensions in the area
A lot of people in Aceh province are mad at the Rohingya because they live there and think they are a burden. Recent terrible events in the Rohingya camps, like gunfights that killed people, show how hard their lives are.
Call from the UNHCR right away:
Countries in the area were asked by the UNHCR to send out search and rescue teams right away because two boats were running out of food and water. Indonesia has been kind by taking in Rohingya even though it is not a part of the UN Refugee Convention.
Rohingya People Rights: What We Want to Do with Galang Island:
A plan by Vice President Ma’ruf to briefly settle Rohingya on an island near Singapore, like Galang, has caused some worry. Galang used to take in Vietnamese people who were fleeing their country. There are, however, people who say that putting the Rohingya on an island could make it harder for them to get basic rights.
The law gives people rights and duties:
NGOs like Suaka stress that Indonesia has legal responsibilities. Pointing out the principle of non-refoulement and the fact that the country is a member of the convention against torture. They say that putting Rohingya on Galang island might be against their human rights because it might make it hard for them to do things like move around freely.
Hope for a peaceful end:
This is Mitra Salima Suryono, speaking for the UNHCR. She says that they want a decent answer and want to stress how vulnerable the Rohingya. Especially women and children. Supporters like Adriana Elizabeth say that calling on Myanmar to understand the plight of the refugees would be a better move.
Rohingya People Rights: As a conclusion:
When it comes to the Rohingya, things are not going well for Indonesia. It is hard to strike a balance between following the law, protecting human rights, and meeting the needs of local groups. Even though the whole world is watching, it is still very important to protect the Rohingya people in a fair and long-lasting way.