Jakarta - The Indonesian government will no longer build temporary shelters for Rohingya ethnic refugees for several reasons.
This was conveyed by the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam), Mahfud MD through his written statement, after attending the National Meeting of Friends of Witnesses and Victims for Indonesia 2023 in Bogor, West Java, Wednesday (20/12/2023).
Mahfud said that the number of Rohingya refugees continues to increase due to the existence of a mafia network for trafficking in persons (TPPO).
The TPPO mafia network, according to Mahfud, deliberately sends Rohingya refugees to Indonesia to be sent to other countries.
"There is a TPPO mafia, which was arrested yesterday. So, they deliberately invite them to come here (Indonesia), then send them elsewhere. To become illegal workers, they were first brought to Indonesia, because they knew that Indonesians are good," said Mahfud.
As a result, the shelters provided by the government in various places are already full as the number of Rohingya refugees continues to increase in Indonesia.
Another reason, Mahfud continued, is that local communities, such as in Aceh, who live side by side with the Rohingya refugees have also expressed their rejection.
"So, the shelters are full now. Even though both local communities, such as Aceh, refused. So we (the Government) do not wake them up anymore, but definitely for the sake of humanity (will be) helped," he said.
Therefore, he said the Government is still in the review stage regarding the search for another location to accommodate Rohingya refugees.
"Now they are temporarily accommodated, but a more temporary one, maybe a little medium, is still being discussed, looking for a place, looking for costs, and so on," Mahfud said.
Previously, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Indonesia confirmed that there are already a thousand Rohingya refugees in Aceh.
"Cumulatively since November 14, the number of refugee arrivals is around 1,200 people at several points in Aceh, such as Pidie, Bireuen, East Aceh, and Sabang," said UNHCR Indonesia's public information officer Mitra Salima Suryono in a written statement on Sunday (10/12/2023).
According to UNHCR, the Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic minority group who have lived for centuries in Myanmar - a predominantly Buddhist country.