Indonesia Reaffirms Commitment to Help Rohingya Refugee Crisis during UN Meet

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesia reaffirmed its commitment to continue assisting Bangladesh in dealing with Rohingya refugees.

“Once again, I'd like to inform you about Indonesia's commitment to continue helping Bangladesh in the handling of the Rohingya issue,” Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told a press conference on the sidelines of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Wednesday, September 29.

Retno said that the assistances included, among others, preparing for a voluntary, safe, and dignified repatriation. She said that Indonesia continues to intensify the assistance after the delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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“I’d also like to emphasize that Indonesia will continue to touch on the Rohingya issue at every meeting on Myanmar-related issues,” he said.

The minister said that Indonesia and Bangladesh were co-chairing the side event on the Rohingya issue. Besides, Indonesia also discussed and exchanged views on the latest situation of Rohingya refugees during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We discussed how to help Rohingya refugees in dealing with the pandemic, especially in accelerating the Covid-19 vaccination program,” she said.

Previously, the minister also called on the international community to provide the Covid-19 vaccine to the Rohingya people who found temporary shelter in the Cox’s Bazaar refugee camp in Bangladesh.

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“Vaccines, medical devices, and medicines must be distributed to Cox's Bazaar. The international community must work together to ensure that Rohingya refugees can immediately get access to the vaccines,” said Retno during a press conference last week.

She also underscored the importance of immediately ending the political crisis in Myanmar, including through the implementation of a five-point consensus towards resolving the crisis. “A prolonged political crisis will hinder the repatriation process,” said Retno.

Retno urged the international community to support the work of the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Center). Currently, the Center is distributing humanitarian aid in Myanmar, including to the Rohingya people in Myanmar.

(Writer: Deti Mega Purnamasari, Achmad Nasrudin Yahya | Editor: Diamanty Meiliana, Bayu Galih)

Sources: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2021/09/29/15571471/bertemu-menlu-bangladesh-retno-tegaskan-komitmen-indonesia-bantu-tangani-isu.

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