Mahfud Regarding The Fate Of Rohingya Refugees: Still Looking For Temporary Shelters

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD said the government is currently gathering three provinces targeting Rohingya temporary evacuation to get a coordination forum for regional leaders (forkopimda).

"Now we (the government) are approaching three provinces targeting Rohingya refugees, namely Aceh, North Sumatra, and Riau, for a joint forkopimda meeting to find temporary places and must be truly temporary for the sake of humanity," Mahfud said as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, December 14.

That step, said Mahfud, was for the sake of humanity. However, it still attaches importance to the national interest.

"However, our humanity must also pay attention to our national interests because our national interests are also many people who need it," he said.

Mahfud explained that Indonesia actually has the right to reject Rohingya refugees because it did not sign the 1951 Refugee Convention ratification. However, Indonesian diplomacy is humanitarian diplomacy.

"Indonesia has the right to expel according to international law. However, Indonesian diplomacy is humanitarian diplomacy so that all those who come are accommodated," he said.

However, he continued, currently local people who usually accept Rohingya refugees have started to protest against the government's move.

"This has even increased for years, it continues to be accommodated there, it increases again, accommodated there, it increases again. Currently, the local community has started to protest 'Sir we are also poor, why accommodate people?' And so on," said Mahfud.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi at the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) at the United Nations Office, Geneva, Switzerland, Wednesday (13/12), emphasized that the root of the Rohingya refugee problem must be resolved immediately.

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According to him, the continuing violence in Myanmar due to the conflict between the military junta and civilians has forced Rohingya residents to leave the country, and many of them eventually entered Indonesia.

"Therefore, I invite the international community to work together to stop the conflict and restore democracy in Myanmar so that Rohingya refugees can return to their homes, namely in Myanmar," said Retno when delivering an online press statement from Geneva.

In addition, in the GRF Forum, he also reminded of strong indications that the refugees had been victims of criminal acts of trafficking and human smuggling or (TPPO), including thousands of refugees who came to Indonesia.

The practice of TIP called Retnomakin adds to the complexity and difficulty of handling refugee issues.

"I explained that Indonesia will not hesitate to fight TIP which is a transnational crime. However, Indonesia cannot run it alone," he said.