By: Mirwan Achmad)*
As a matter of concern to the Government of Indonesia on the issues currently being faced by Rohingya ethnic groups in Myanmar, Indonesia has sent aid to Bangladesh and has been accepted in Dhaka. The aid is planned to be sent to refugee camps near the border of Bangladesh and Myanmar. The assistance is in the form of rice, blankets, fast food, tents, water tanks, clothing, sugar and family kits for refugees.
This humanitarian crisis has basically existed for a long time. The Indonesian government has also provided assistance several times. In October 2016, conditions in Rakhine state, Myanmar, was heating up, Indonesia at that time became the first country in the world to take part in the effort to solve the humanitarian crisis. This year, Indonesia is also the first country to help solve the humanitarian crisis Rohingya. Assistance provided by Indonesia is not only a thing, but also a political response.
Bangladesh as a country bordering on Myanmar border, became the main escape destination of Rohingya refugees. Therefore, Bangladesh has high hopes for Indonesia to ease their burden of taking care of refugees. This is because the Bangladesh government claims to be overwhelmed by the new wave of refugees because since the 1990s Bangladesh has accommodated about 400,000 Rohingya refugees.
Teknaf is one of the main destinations of Rohingya refugees who fled from Myanmar via the Naf River. Based on UN data, the camp population reached 70,000 – ‘well beyond the saturation point.’ So all the new refugees around 400,000 people were stranded outside the camp. It is estimated that 60 percent of the 400,000 Rohingyas who fled Myanmar to Bangladesh are children.
Not only in Bangladesh, Indonesia has also provided assistance to Myanmar, namely by continuing the construction of Indonesian Hospital in the conflict zone. Two engineers who are volunteers of the Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) with the burden of tasks to monitor the process of stage two, namely the construction of doctors and nursing dormitories. Hospitals built on MER-C and the Indonesian Red Cross are targeted to operate immediately to assist victims in conflict areas.
The involvement of Indonesia in the effort to assist in the settlement of the humanitarian crisis Rohingyas not only constitute the constitution, but also the defense of humanity and become national, regional and international stability. Indonesia’s involvement in helping to resolve the conflict in Myanmar is also an important part of the realization of the national interest to live in peace, prosperity and sentosa.
)* The author is CIDISS Contributor
Comments are closed.