Countries Support Indonesia’s Move
Rohingya refugees, carrying their children and belongings, walk towards a nearby refugee camp in Ukhiya, Bangladesh, on Sept. 2, as they flee the violence in neighbouring Myanmar. Some 400 people – most of them Rohingya Muslims – have died in the violence in Myanmar\'s Rakhine state, the army chief\'s office said on Friday, with tens of thousands forced to flee across the border into Bangladesh. A further 20,000 Rohingya have massed along the Bangladeshi border, barred from entering the South Asian country, while scores of others have drowned while attempting to cross the Naf River, which borders the two countries, in makeshift boats.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Amid the widespread condemnation on the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, Indonesia was among the countries that swiftly responded to the conflict. Since the conflict first erupted in Rakhine, Indonesia has actively helped the victims while seeking solutions to end the conflict. “Beyond a political response, we also made concrete steps to help those affected,” Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said in Jakarta on Sunday (3/9/2017).
Together with 11 civil society organizations, including religious organizations Nahdlatul Ulama, Muhammadiyah and the Indonesian Buddhist Association (Walubi), the Indonesian government has helped the Rakhine people in a number of refugee centers since last year. Other than distributing food and clothing for the refugees, Indonesia has also established two schools in Rakhine communities.