Nivell Rayda – The Indonesian government yesterday blocked media access to the Rohingya refugees stranded in Aceh Province, reflecting the sensitive nature of the case and the embarrassment it has caused to the governments of Indonesia, Thailand and Burma.
The group of 193 predominantly Rohingya Muslims who were rescued off the Aceh coastline in a cramped vessel with no engine and with no food and water are believed to be a part of a group of 1,000 migrants from Burma, where they face persecution from the military regime that controls the country.
As many as 500 of the group are feared to have died after the Thai army towed them out to sea and cast them adrift after they had landed in the country last year.
The Indonesian government appears likely to classify the Rohingya boat people as economic migrants, not political refugees, and to return them home. One of the refugees was reported to have said that if that if that were the case, it would be better for the Indonesians to kill them. "Better we die at the hands of Muslims... if we go back, we'll definitely be killed."
Kusuma Pradopo, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' coordinator for the Rohingya refugees, confirmed he had limited access for journalists, but did allow the state-run Antara news agency to interview ministry and military officials.
Antara reported on Sunday that the refugees were given soccer balls and badminton equipment for what Kusuma said was to "get them in shape and reduce their stress levels." The boat people were also given an outdoor cinema every night, the news agency reported.
Meanwhile, the head of one of the country's largest Muslim organizations said on Sunday that the government was doing little to help the Rohingya refugees stranded on Subang Island.
"The government is not doing enough to help them. I urge the government to show more sympathy towards our Muslim brothers and take serious measures," Din Syamsuddin, the chairman of Muhammadiyah said. "If the government can't do it, then Muhammadiyah will help them."
The ministry said last week that it had sent interpreters to the camp to interview each refugee and clarify their motives for fleeing before deciding whether to send them back to Burma or let them stay here. However, with no media access, it is difficult to ascertain whether this indeed did occur.
Around 800,000 Rohingyas live in Burma, and about 28,000 more live in UNHCR refugee camps near the Burmese border in Bangladesh.
Amnesty International said in a 2005 report that Rohingyas are denied citizenship in predominately Buddhist Burma, where they are sometimes forced to work on military projects and face land seizures, destruction of their homes and extortion.
"It is time we take the Rohingya matter to the regional forum. Indonesia has been to soft towards the junta in Burma. We hope the same thing will not happen again," Syamsuddin said.