Indonesia Refugee Shelter Faces Protesters' Call for Rohingya Deportation
Indonesian students forcefully entered a convention center in Banda Aceh, demanding the deportation of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar The incident highlights rising tensions and opposition towards the Rohingya community in Indonesia
A large group of Indonesian students forcefully entered a convention center in Banda Aceh, where hundreds of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar were staying. They demanded the deportation of the refugees, as shown in Reuters footage. The Banda Aceh police spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.
The footage depicted students, several of whom were wearing green jackets, rushing into the vast basement of the buildings, where groups of Rohingya men, women, and children were sitting on the floor and crying in fear. Authorities escorted the Rohingya out, some carrying their belongings in plastic sacks, and transported them to alternative shelter via trucks while onlookers protested.
As the number of boats carrying Rohingya refugees, who are persecuted in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, continues to rise, the ethnic minority is facing increasing hostility and rejection in Indonesia, leading to growing frustration among the locals.
Rohingya Muslim refugees being moved from their temporary shelter at Balai Meuseuraya Aceh, following a protest in Banda Aceh, Indonesia on December 27, 2023.
President Joko Widodo of Indonesia has attributed the recent increase in arrivals to human trafficking and has committed to collaborating with international organizations to provide temporary shelter.
Arrivals typically increase between November and April, when the seas are calmer, as Rohingya individuals board boats to nearby Thailand and the Muslim-majority countries of Indonesia and Malaysia.
At a recent protest rally in Banda Aceh, 23-year-old student Wariza Anis Munandar called for the deportation of the Rohingya, while 20-year-old student Della Masrida expressed that they should not feel entitled to be in the country.
The UNHCR Indonesia spokesperson did not respond immediately to a request for comment regarding Wednesday's incident. Earlier this month, UNHCR expressed alarm at the reports of rejection in Indonesia.
Indonesia has not signed the 1951 United Nations Convention on Refugees, but has a track record of providing refuge to those who arrive in its borders. The Rohingya people have fled Myanmar due to being labeled as outsiders, denied citizenship, and facing mistreatment.
