Muhammadiyah Students Call on Gov't to Protect the Rohingya
Jakarta. The Muhammadiyah Students Association, or IMM, on Wednesday (06/09) urged the Indonesian government to protect Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State, Myanmar, amid increasing violence against the minority group.
"This crisis has prompted us to organize fundraising for Myanmar through the IMM chapters across the country," Ali Muthohirin, an IMM representative, said during the organization's Wednesday visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ali, along with other university students from IMM, visited the ministry to learn about the outcome of Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi's recent visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh, as well as the steps undertaken by the Indonesian government to help address the conflict in Rakhine.
More than 120,000 refugees have fled the region, following increasing violence, after insurgents attacked Myanmar police posts and an army base last month, triggering a counteroffensive.
The situation has led to a humanitarian crisis, with the toll climbing each day among the Rohingya – a predominantly Muslim ethnic group considered the world's most persecuted minority.
Following news reports of atrocities in Myanmar, protesters have held several rallies in Jakarta and many other parts of Indonesia, calling for an end to the crisis and demanding that the Indonesian government cut diplomatic ties with the Buddhist-majority country and expel its ambassador.
Special adviser to the foreign minister on institutional relations, Salman Al Farisi, spoke with the IMM about the outcome of Retno's meetings with officials of both Myanmar and Bangladesh, including Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Bangladesh's foreign minister Mahmood Ali.
"Access has been opened for government-to-government aid, and we heard today that the area has received international aid as well. It's important to note that it must be facilitated by the [Myanmar] government, as the situation is still troubling and they must ensure that the aid is rightly delivered and distributed," Salman said.
Salman added that Retno emphasized the importance of a productive dialogue in order to resolve the issue of the increasing number of refugees from Myanmar crossing the border to Bangladesh.
"That's the role that we take, bridging a dialogue between the two countries ... envoys of the leaders of both countries are holding meetings, and it's going well," Salman said.
IMM representatives said they will raise awareness among university students and activists on the efforts undertaken by the Indonesian government, as well as the complex situation in Myanmar. Another IMM representative, Solihin, also expressed the organization's hope that the government will provide more protection to the Rohingya.
"We hope that more effort will be made to provide the protection. This is important because protecting their rights will be crucial, even as aid continues to be delivered. We are interested to learn how the government will communicate [with relevant actors]," he said.
IMM also said that as the Rohingya crisis has been widely exploited on social media, it will disseminate accurate information so as not to mislead the public.
Efforts to Resolve the Myanmar Conflict
Salman said the Indonesian government has focused on approaching the conflict in Myanmar through a "constructive engagement."
"Our approach has [also been focused on] inclusivity, which is more effective in comparison to an exclusive approach that closes our access to the communities in need," Salman said, giving an example of Indonesian-built schools for both Muslims and Buddhists in Rakhine State.
Last Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched a two-year humanitarian assistance program valued at $2 million, which will be implemented by 11 organizations under the Indonesian Humanitarian Alliance for Myanmar (AKIM).
According to Salman, the program will focus on reconciliation efforts from the bottom-up and will connect diverse groups in Rakhine State to contribute to a resolution of the violent conflict in the deeply divided region.
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