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A Rohingya girl gestures while reciting a poem at a makeshift school at Balukhali Makeshift Refugee Camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh April 10, 2017. A UN report in February said Myanmar's security forces had committed mass killings and gang rapes against Rohingya during their campaign against the insurgents, which may amount to crimes against humanity. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain

By Antara
April 29, 2017

Manila -- Indonesia will build a hospital on a four thousand square-meter plot of land as a form of long-term health assistance for the marginalized Rohingya community in Myanmar, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi.

"We have already completed offering short-term assistance in the form of emergency humanitarian aid, and now, we are shifting to provide aid in the form of long- and medium-term projects in various fields, including health," the Indonesian foreign affairs minister informed newsmen here on Friday, a day before the ASEAN Summit in Manila.

Marsudi said almost all preparations for the construction of the hospital for the Rohingya community have been completed, from licensing, construction, and design to funds.

"We are in the process of securing some permits and will soon build the hospital," the minister noted.

Earlier on Friday, Marsudi had met Myanmar Deputy Foreign Minister Kyaw Tin to discuss the matter.

Moreover, President Joko Widodo will hold a bilateral meeting for the first time with Myanmar Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit.

"In addition to the health sector, long- and medium-term assistance for the Rohingya community will also include education, human capacity building, and economic empowerment," Marsudi added.
(Photo: MINA)

January 22, 2017

Jakarta - Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno LP Marsudi said the humanitarian assistance given by Indonesia to Rakhine State is a constructive support for inclusive development in Myanmar. 

"Indonesia chose to take constructive steps to help Myanmar in establishing peace, stability and development in Rakhine State," said Minister Retno Marsudi in a press statement in Jakarta on Sunday.

She made the statement in the handover of the humanitarian assistance to the people of Rakhine State on Saturday, January 21, 2017.

In the event, the Foreign Minister asserted that both bilaterally and through the ASEAN, Indonesia has committed to help the inclusive development in Myanmar.

The foreign minister also said that Indonesia had been following closely the developments in Rakhine since the attack on the police station on October 9, 2016, and the Indonesian government has chosen to take constructive steps.

"Within two months, I have visited Myanmar three times, not only to meet with State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, but also to speak with various stakeholders to know the best way to help Rakhine State," said Foreign Minister Retno.

The foreign minister also expressed the hope that the assistance provided can be enjoyed by all communities in Rakhine State, especially the Muslim community.

Retno also expressed Indonesias commitment to continue to assist Myanmar in the medium and long term, particularly in the areas of education, health, agriculture, entrepreneurship, democracy and governance.

"Indonesia hopes the aid will help create conditions conducive to peace and stability that is needed for inclusive development in Myanmar, particularly the Rakhine State," said Retno.

President Joko Widodo had earlier seen off the direct delivery of assistance to Rakhine from Tanjung Priok port, North Jakarta, on December 29, 2016. The humanitarian aid, consisted of 10 containers of instant noodles, wheat flour, toddler food, and holsters.

The aid was received by Mynamars Minister of Social Welfare Myat Aye Win and witnessed by the Chief Minister of Rakhine U Nyi Pu. The Indonesian assistance will be distributed directly to people in need, especially in some of the refugee camps.

"The Government and people of Myanmar are very grateful and appreciate the Indonesian humanitarian assistance in support of Myanmar," said Minister Win Myat Aye.

Also present at the handover ceremony were the foreign representatives in Sittwe, among others, the consuls of India, Bangladesh and the United Nations representative in Rakhine State.
Minister Retno LP Marsudi. (ANTARA/Suwandy)

January 21, 2017

Jakarta - The Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi proposed four actions to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to improve the situation in Rakhine, Myanmar.

According to a press release to Antara on Friday the suggestions were delivered by the minister at the Extraordinary Ministerial Conference of the OIC in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on January 19. Its aims to address the current plight of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar.

The first action of offering humanitarian aid and security advice, which can prevent the situation in Rakhine State from deteriorating further, can be done within the OIC according to Marsudi.

The second action is to work closely with the Myanmar government, while the third action involves cooperation with regional organizations such as ASEAN to prevent political issues from hindering all forms of assistance to Rakhine state.

Marsudi submitted a report from the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Retreat in Rangoon, which was held on December 19 last year, to highlight the desire for cooperation between OIC and ASEAN.

The Indonesian government also suggested that OIC member countries should work with Myanmar to assist with its economic development, with the possibility of assistance from the Islamic Development Bank. This is the fourth action proposed by Marsudi.

He repeated Indonesias readiness to work with all sides to find sustainable solutions to assist the Muslim communities in Rakhine State.

"The OIC can only contribute in improving the situation in Rakhine State by taking constructive and inclusive steps," he said.

Following the meeting of the OIC, the foreign ministers from its member states agreed to pass two resolutions.

The first is a report on the situation of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar, whos representatives have requested for humanitarian assistance from the OIC and have asked the Myanmar government to allow access for aid.

The second is a final communique that requires OIC representatives in New York, Geneva and Brussels to periodically conduct a review on current developments in Myanmar.

The ministers also endorsed the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Palestine and Al Quds Al Sharif.

Finally, all OIC members are expected to support the outcome of the Middle East Peace Conference that was held in Paris on January 15, which called for a two-state solution in the conflict between Palestine and Israel.

Indonesian Muslim students stage a protest in front of the Myanmar Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016. Hundreds of Indonesians angered over the persecution of Muslim Rohingya in Myanmar have protested outside the Myanmar Embassy in the Indonesian capital. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
December 29, 2016

Jakarta - Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has dispatched the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Rohingya ethnic minority in Rakhine state, Myanmar.

"I hope the Rohingya ethnic minority in the Rakhine state will find peace with the various efforts we have made and will continue to make for them," President Jokowi remarked while dispatching the aid from the Tanjung Priok port here on Thursday.

The head of state expressed hope that the humanitarian assistance from Indonesia would be received well by the Rohingya people in Rakhine state as an expression of concern and solidarity.

"I hope the assistance of Indonesia will be well received as a demonstration of concern," he said.

A total of 10 containers of instant noodles, baby food, wheat, cereals, and sarongs were shipped to the Rohingya state from Tanjung Priok port on Thursday.

"These items were requested following multiple discussions between the foreign affairs minister and the government of Myanmar," Jokowi stated.

He indicated that the delivery of humanitarian aid from Indonesia was part of the countrys diplomatic practices and provided tangible proof of its concern for the Rohingya people.

Some time ago, President Jokowi ordered Foreign Affairs Minister Retno LP Marsudi to meet with the government of Myanmar and discuss opening its borders to meet the needs of the Rohingya people.

(Photo: Richard Potter)

September 4, 2015

Jakarta -- MER-C Indonesia has been helping with the construction of an Indonesian Health Center in the Rakhine state of Myanmar.

"The Rakhine state government in Myanmar, has allocated a plot of land located in the Mrauk U region for a health center," Dr. Joserizal Jurnalis, Chairman of the Team-3 of MER-C for Myanmar, said recently.

The Myanmar government is also supporting the plan to set up a health center.

The team left for Minbya through Sittwe, on August 28 with the assistance of the Indonesian embassy in Yangon. From Sittwe, they took a speedboat for a three-hour journey to Minbya.

In Minbya, the team also visited two schools constructed by the Indonesian government. One school is for Buddhists and another for Muslims. The two-story schools are located at a distance of just 500 meters from each other.

In February this year, MER-C Indonesia donated two power generators to support the schools activities.

"Students in both the Buddhist and Muslim schools were very happy to meet the team," Jurnalis said.

From Minbya, the team was accompanied by an Indonesian embassy staff member and officers of the Rakhine state administration, who proceeded to Mrauk U in six cars. 

When they arrived in Mrauk U, they could see that the area was still chaotic in the aftermath of flooding.

The 4000 square meter site for an Indonesian Health Center is located between the Site village, which has a Muslim population of 650, and the Nanja village having 1,700 Buddhist inhabitants. 

MER-C Indonesia has paid Rp17.6 million to the local farmers to compensate the state-owned land.

The construction of the health center building is estimated to cost Rp3 billion. 

For Indonesians interested in extending financial aid for the health centers construction, the Medical Emergency Rescue Committee has opened bank accounts in Bank Central Asia (BCA), with account number 686.028.0009 and in Bank Syariah Mandiri (BSM), with account number 700.1306.833. 

Earlier, the team had gifted an ambulance to the residents of Rakhine in Sittwe, the states capital.

MER-C Indonesia is currently also preparing to inaugurate an Indonesian Hospital in Gaza, Palestine.(*)

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). (ANTARA/Andika Wahyu)

June 18, 2015

Jakarta - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) led a limited cabinet meeting to discuss ways to handle the refuges evacuated from around Mount Sinabung as well as the Rohingya asylum seekers in Aceh.

"We have to respond quickly to issues concerning Mount Sinabung," President Jokowi said during the meeting at the Presidential Office here on Thursday.

Among those attending the meeting were Coordinating Minister for Human and Culture Development Puan Maharani, Minister of Social Affairs Kofifah Indar Parawansa and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs A. M. Fachir.

Mount Sinabung erupted once again and forced local people to relocate to safer places, according to the president.

"We need to develop drainage systems in the refugee camps. Of the 370 new houses being built for refugees, only 130 have been completed so far," Jokowi pointed out.

The head of state has asked institutions concerned to expedite the construction of facilities for the refugees so they can be relocated to the new settlements.

"Besides housing, the other problem we face is related to jobs. They should be given agricultural fields to farm the way they used to in their villages," he stated.

Till June 17, the number of refugees from around Mount Sinabung totaled 10,714 people, or 2,882 families. They are currently being accommodated in 10 locations in Kabanjahe city, according to data from the disaster mitigation office of North Sumatra.

Supported by personnel from other institutions, the office has been evacuating villagers living within a 7-kilometer radius of the peak of Mount Sinabung.

The refugees are from the villages of Jaraya, Kutatengah, Sigarang Garang, Madingding, Kutagugung and Kutarayat.

Sinabungs volcanic activity has been worsening, with the mount spewing ash clouds continuously since the alert status was raised on June 2 at 11 p.m. local time.

During the meeting, the president also inquired about the Rohingya asylum seekers currently in temporarily accommodations in Aceh province.

Retno LP Marsudi. (ANTARA/Sigid Kurniawan)

June 10, 2015

Jakarta -- Temporary shelters provided by the government for the Rohingya refugees from Myanmar is not intended to further support the arrival of more refugees to Indonesia, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Retno L.P. Marsudi.

"What we do for the Rohingya refugees is part of our humanitarian policy, but at the same time, we do not want to send a message that Indonesia creates a pull factor in the sense that we can attract more refugees to come," Retno affirmed here on Tuesday.

She noted that the temporary shelters for the displaced Rohingya refugees must be managed well, and the governments effort to provide shelter to the refugees is considered appropriate, as it is associated with the application of humanitarian values.

"Providing shelters for refugees is an issue that must be managed wisely, and I think that the Indonesian government is now very precise. 

With regard to the aspect of humanity, we can show the world that Indonesia is concerned about humanitarian issues," the foreign affairs minister remarked.

She further explained that the provision of temporary shelters for a year to the refugees was based on a joint agreement reached during the meeting of foreign ministers from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand to discuss the problem of "irregular migrants" on May 20, in Putra Jaya, Malaysia.

"Thus, it has been mentioned in a paragraph of the joint agreement that Indonesia and Malaysia were ready to provide temporary shelters on the condition that the refugees repatriation and resettlement process can be carried out internationally within a year," Retno affirmed.

Moreover, she stated that the Indonesian government, in cooperation with the government of Myanmar, has also sought to overcome the problem of prevalent refugee movements in Southeast Asia by handling the Rohingya refugee crisis.

May 11, 2014

Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar - The Indonesian government supports Myanmars efforts to resolve horizontal conflicts, including those involving the Rohingya ethnic group, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said.

"Where the Rohingya issue is concerned, since our visit (to Myanmar) in January 2013, the Indonesian government has extended US$1 million in aid to build schools in the two communities involved in a conflict," Marty said after signing a visa exemption agreement for regular passport holders here on Saturday.

Marty said Indonesia had built four schools in the western Myanmar state of Rakhine.

"According to information from our ambassador, we have built four schools in the Myanmar state of Rakhine to promote their spirit of reconciliation," he said.

Marty further said both Indonesia and Myanmar had close relations, referring to the perspective of the two countries history.

"As countries which are in the process of transition to democracy, we feel comfortable to share experience and issues of mutual concern," he said.

To enhance cooperation between the two countries, the governments of Indonesia and Myanmar signed a visa exemption agreement for regular passport holders.

Hopefully, the agreement would encourage people-to-people contact between the two nations.

(Photo: bankbjb.co.id)


By Fardah

December 15, 2013

Singapore - The Myanmar government must stop the escalation of violence against the Rohingya minority because it is dangerous and could develop into genocide, Rafendi Djamin, a noted Indonesian human rights activist, said.

"The human rights situation in Myanmar is regressing because the government and politicians let the escalation of violence continue against the Rohingya people," Djamin, Indonesias representative to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), said on the sidelines of a workshop entitled Reporting on Regional Integration and ASEAN, here on Saturday.

Myanmar will be ASEAN Chair 2014 and automatically become chairman of the AICHR next year, he said, adding that this would be an appropriate opportunity for Myanmar to prove that it deserves the chairmanship of the human rights commission of ASEAN.

The Myanmar government must ban the hatred demonstrated by radical Buddhists against Rohingya Muslims, since it has escalated into violence and could lead to genocide, he said.

Laws must be enforced, those promoting hatred and who commit violence must be punished, Djamin added.

"It is the responsibility of the Myanmar government to implement early warning systems in order to prevent genocide," he said.

Djamin also urged Indonesia to play a leading role in solving the problem of Myanmars Rohingya minority by enforcing the Jakarta Declaration and Bali Process.

The humanitarian situation, including the stateless status of the Rohingya, must be addressed, and their basic human rights must be protected. They must be able to have their medical needs met and have opportunities to work, he stated.

Indonesia, as co-chair of the Bali Process, along with Australia, has the capability to help solve the Rohingya problem, Djamin said.

Besides, being the most democratic nation and most economically advanced country, Indonesia has the responsibility to promote the protection of human rights in ASEAN, he said.

Recently, in September and October, seven people were killed and scores of houses were burned to the ground when Buddhist mobs attacked ethnic Rohinyga Muslim villages in Thandwe Township, Arakan State, The Irrawaddy daily reported.

Myanmar rejected a United Nations committee request to grant the Muslim minority group citizenship rights, saying the country does not recognize the existence of "a Rohingya minority."

The UN General Assemblys human rights committee, on Nov. 19, unanimously passed a resolution calling for Burma to grant citizenship to the Muslim minority Rohingyas and also called on the Buddhist nation to contain violence against the Rohingyas and other Muslims.

The resolution passed the committee by consensus. The body will consider it this year under General Assembly rules.

Some 140,000 Muslim Rohingyas have been driven from their homes in the coastal Arakan state region following Buddhist-Muslim clashes over the past year, and more than 200 have been killed. The violence has spread to Muslim communities elsewhere in Myanmar. (*)

Muslim Rohingya as refugees in Medan, North Sumatra. (ANTARA/Septianda Perdana)

By Fardah
December 15, 2013

Singapore - Indonesia should play a leading role in solving the problem of Myanmars Rohingya minority by integrating the Jakarta Declaration and Bali Process, said Rafendi Djamin, Indonesias Representative to ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights.

"The humanitarian situation, including the stateless status of Rohingya, must be addressed, and their basic human rights must be protected. They must be able to meet their medical needs and have opportunities to work, for instance," Djamin told ASEAN journalists, during a workshop on Reporting on Regional Integration and ASEAN, here on Saturday.

Indonesia, as a co-chair of the Bali Process, together with Australia, has the capability to help solve the Rohingya problem, he said.

Besides, being the most democratic nation and most economically advanced, Indonesia has the responsibility to promote human rights protection in ASEAN, he said.

The escalation of violence against the Rohigya minority in Myanmar is dangerous because if it is not stopped, it could lead to genocide, he stated.

Meanwhile, the Rohingaya issue should receive more coverage by the media because it is not just a problem of Myanmar, but the problem of ASEAN as it has affected Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, among other nations, said Bunn Nagara, a veteran journalist from Malaysia, speaking at the workshop.

Many issues brought before ASEAN have made progress, except for the Rohingya problem, he added.

The two-day workshop was organized by the Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC), EU Centre in Singapore and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS).

Some 20 journalists from ten ASEAN member countries - Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, Lao, Myanmar and Singapore - attended the workshop.

ASEAN was established with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration or Bangkok Declaration in Bangkok on August 8, 1967 by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN: Adam Malik (Indonesia), Tun Abdul Razak bin Hussein (Malaysia), Narciso Ramos (Philippines), S. Rajaratnam (Singapore) and Thanat Khoman (Thailand) . (*)

Foreign Affairs Marty Natalegawa (ANTARA FOTO/Widodo S. Jusuf)
By Anatara News
September 25, 2013


The OIC must level its approach towards finding a solution for the Rohingya people.


Jakarta - Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa has urged the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to play a more constructive role in the resolution of the Rohingya people`s issue in Myanmar.

"The OIC must level its approach towards finding a solution for the Rohingya people. It has been repeatedly voicing strong statements, while Indonesia has been focusing more on action and the results emerging thereafter," the minister pointed out in a written statement to Antara on Wednesday.

Natalegawa added that Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam will try to urge the OIC to play a more constructive and concrete role in the settlement of Rohingya issue, including problems related to sending humanitarian aid to the Rohingya people, their economic development and reaching a national reconciliation between the conflicted parties in Myanmar.

Indonesia has actively engaged with the Rohingya issue by approaching both the Myanmar government and the displaced Rohingya people living in the country`s Rakhine province. Indonesia has also been raising the subject at various international meets, such as at the U.N., ASEAN and OIC forums.

Ministers of the OIC members had also conducted a meeting on the sidelines of U.N. General Assembly Meeting on Sept. 24.

Violence had erupted in Myanmar`s Rakhine state following the rape and murder of a young woman by three youths from the Yanbye township on May 28, which had resulted in the subsequent killing of 10 passengers aboard a bus in the Taungup township on June 3. In the former case, the victim was a Rakhine Buddhist female, while in the latter incident, the victims were Muslim men.

Following the two incidents, riots had broken out in the Sittway, Maungtaw and Buthidaung townships. The rioters had torched and destroyed houses, shops and guest houses and also committed murders. 

The riots had caused the death of 77 people in both communities, while 109 were injured. A total of 4,822 houses, 17 mosques, 15 monasteries, and three schools were burnt to the ground.

The unrest has severely affected both the Rohingya and Rakhine ethnic groups, but human rights groups have accused the Myanmar police and soldiers of taking action only against the Rohingya Muslims after the riots.

The Myanmar government is yet to acknowledge the Rohingya people as citizens of the country.


    • Rohingya Exodus