Residents Move 135 Rohingya Refugees To Aceh Governor's Office

Photo Antara

BANDA ACEH - Lambreh Community, Mesjid Raya District, Aceh Besar District, transferred 135 Rohingya refugees to the front yard of the Aceh Governor's office, in Banda Aceh City, Sunday night.

"The information they got came from the direction of Krueng Raya, and went straight here," said Aceh Governor's Office security officer M Yusuf to the media crew, quoted by VOI from Antara.

Previously, the ship carrying 135 Rohingya refugees landed on Blang Ulam Lamreh beach, Mesjid Raya District, Aceh Besar District at around 05.30 WIB.

The refugees consisted of 15 boys, 20 girls, 35 adult boys, and 65 adults.

The refugees were seen being transported by residents from Lamreh using two trucks and one L-300 Pickup car, and immediately dropped right on the front terrace of the Aceh Governor's office.

After the Rohingya immigrants got out of the car, the community immediately returned and let the refugees there.

Until now, the refugees are still on the terrace of the Aceh Governor's office, and escorted by the police. There is no clarity on how the immigrants are handled.

M Yusuf said that at this time his party could not take any steps because there was no indication or direction from the leadership of the Rohingya refugees.

"We will keep it 24 hours, and how will we wait for the leadership's direction," he said.

Secretary of Lamreh Village Asmadi Kadafi said residents took the initiative to move because the location where the Rohingya refugees landed was deemed inappropriate because there were no buildings, no electricity, and clean water.

"Due to security considerations, residents asked UNHCR to remove them (rhingya) from our village," said Asmadi.

He said the security factor was also a consideration for the transfer because two refugees had fled before being finally secured by the police.

The process of transferring refugees was banned from the police because no location was certain to accommodate them. Meanwhile, the UNHCR also does not have a solution related to the shelter location.

A number of UNHCR representatives had come to collect data, provide food, and leave after listening to a number of residents who asked the Rohingya refugees to be moved immediately.

"We need to sit down together with all parties to find a solution on this matter. Indeed, there are two or three locations that can, but that needs approval from the local government," said Ann Maymann, a UNHCR representative in Indonesia, when he saw the condition of the Rohingya refugees on Lamreh beach, Aceh Besar.

Ann had heard the aspirations of a number of residents who refused the presence of Rohingya in that place. However, he considered that those who refused could not be generalized as absolute rejection from Indonesia.