Emergency Handling of Rohingya Refugees in Front of North Aceh Regent's Office (Perpres is not respected, Refugees from Abroad are not Protected)

(Jakarta, 24 November 2022) The Civil Society Network urged the Central Government and Regional Governments (Pemda Aceh Utara, Pemda Aceh Timur, and Pemda Lhokseumawe) to prioritize temporary shelter for 110 Rohingya refugees.

Hundreds of Rohingya refugees, including children, were left in limbo after the Central Government and Regional Governments returned to throwing responsibility at each other. Local people who were allowed to help refugees from abroad (refugees) gave up after the Central Government's decision to relocate Rohingya refugees was ignored by the North Aceh Regional Government, the Lhokseumawe Regional Government, and the East Aceh Regional Government. The community finally relocated the refugees to the North Aceh Regent's Office this afternoon after previously giving the government 2 x 24 hours to take action. Until now, the refugees are still in front of the North Aceh regent's office without a roof and showered with rain.

As is known, North Aceh has just received Rohingya refugees on November 15 and 16. The group that came on November 15, totaling 110 people have been temporarily placed at the local meunasah. Then, due to pressure from the community, the Rohingya refugees were temporarily moved to the Muara Batu sub-district office. Now pressure is returning through the Muara Batu Geuchik Forum, which through IOM and UNHCR is asking refugees to be given clarity on their location within 2×24 hours. Even though on November 16 2022, the National Task Force for Handling Refugees from Abroad (PPLN Task Force) appointed the Lhokseumawe Regional Government and the East Aceh Regional Government to determine the location of the shelter and immediately move the refugees. Official rejection even emerged from the Blang Mangat District Keuchik Forum, when the Lhokseumawe Immigration Building was made an option.

Never getting a response and time had passed, the Muara Batu Geuchik Forum finally brought the refugees to the front of the North Aceh Regent's office. Meanwhile, the second group that arrived on November 16 was still in the community hall managed by the local Panglima Laot.

This condition has occurred repeatedly. The central government does not provide clear operational rules and funding coordination for regional governments. Furthermore, the central government relies on international organizations such as UNHCR and IOM in dealing with refugees. Meanwhile, the regional government, which perceives this ambiguity, actually uses it to pass responsibility on one another, ignores the Presidential Regulation which gives authority to regional governments to determine refugee shelters and respects human values ​​by leaving refugees in limbo. The provincial government, which should have been able to help coordinate traffic between cities and regencies, also did not seem to respond. This is not in line with the values ​​of its citizens who have always accepted refugees in difficult conditions.

The main role of the Perpres is coordinating the handling of refugees. In various international forums, Indonesia mentions responsibility sharing. The practice in the field so far has shown that international organizations and humanitarian agencies are involved. However, these groups have limitations and require coordination.

The main role in the Perpres is coordinating the handling of refugees. In various international forums, Indonesia mentions responsibility sharing. The practice in the field so far has shown that international organizations and humanitarian agencies are involved. However, these groups have limitations and require coordination.

Although it did not ratify the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol, Indonesia has ratified various human rights conventions. Among them is the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In the group of refugees stranded in front of the Regent's office, there are 33 children and 19 adult women. In the review of the Universal Periodic Review at the United Nations last November, not a few countries reminded Indonesia of this. This is quite sad considering that the values ​​of the citizens have not been reflected by the government's actions.

Indonesia, which hosted the G-20 in Bali last November 15-16, even took part in delivering the G-20 Leadership Declaration, where in point number 40 it was stated that Indonesia was committed to supporting refugee inclusion, including in efforts to restore and ensure human rights. refugees regardless of their immigration conditions.

This support also includes efforts to respond to humanitarian needs and the root causes of refugee problems. After this, Indonesia will even become the Chair of ASEAN. Rohingya refugees will not leave Myanmar if conditions there afford them dignity. But what happened was just the opposite. The refugee conditions in Bangladesh are also increasingly apprehensive, which in turn forces the Rohingya refugees to take the route of human smugglers, which makes them even more vulnerable.

Awareness that is very limited regarding this matter, never realized, and increasingly makes refugees swayed. Fundamental problems related to refugees and Indonesia's diplomacy are increasingly dwarfed by feelings of prejudice, narratives of throwing responsibility and calculating the benefits to be gained in dealing with refugees.

Responding to a very alarming and emergency situation, we, the Civil Society Network, state:

  1. Urge the responsibility of the Government of Indonesia to immediately implement and respect Presidential Decree 125 of 2016 by coordinating with local governments, especially the North Aceh Regional Government, East Aceh Regional Government, and the Lhokseumawe Regional Government, Langsa Regional Government, and various parties to immediately make decisions regarding the provision of suitable places for refugees in front of the North Aceh Regent's office including the funding mechanism;
  2. Urge the Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Security to ask the Task Force for Handling Refugees from Abroad to take immediate action when coordination is not running optimally. This is mainly with the Regional Government and other institutions in making decisions regarding the location of shelters for refugees in the city-districts in Aceh. This Shelter can be held in the nearest regency city that is prepared to handle refugees from abroad including North Aceh, Lhokseumawe, Langsa, East Aceh, etc.;
  3. Urge the Provincial Government of Aceh to participate in handling and facilitating the determination of locations for shelters for refugees from abroad in their territory;
  4. Urge the City/Regency Governments of North Aceh, Lhokseumawe, East Aceh, Langsa, etc. to participate in responding and stating their readiness in accepting refugees from abroad through the establishment of a Task Force for Handling Regional Refugees from Abroad, as well as coordinate with task forces and humanitarian agencies to jointly together with dealing with refugees from abroad;
  5. Encourage joint initiatives and coordination related to health services, logistics, food, etc. by human rights and the spirit of humanity through government coordination. This includes transparently conveying the roles and limitations of each humanitarian agency dealing with refugees;
  6. Appreciate the role of community members and humanitarian agencies involved in handling refugees in the Aceh region, in the absence of concrete steps from the government.

Contact Person:

  1. Syahrul, LBH Banda Aceh
  2. Azharul Husna, Kontras Aceh
  3. Atika Yuanita Paraswaty, Suaka
  4. Angga Reynady, Suaka

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