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Jakarta | The Central Ulema Council of Indonesia (MUI) has called on the United Nations agency for refugee affairs (UNHCR) to act quickly to resolve the problems of Rohingya immigrants who continue to land on Indonesian territory, including in Aceh.

UI President for Cooperation and Foreign Relations Sudarnoto Abdul Hakim said if Rohingya refugees were ignored, it would impact the stigmatization of the Indonesian government for ignoring humanity.

This was expressed by seeing the phenomenon of rejection by the people of Aceh of the wave of Rohingya immigrant refugees who landed on the beaches of their region.

He said the Rohingya refugees simply needed a safe place. However, he stressed that Indonesia is not a country that grants political asylum.

“The UN, UNHCR, should not let the problem of Rohingya refugees drag on in Aceh or elsewhere. This must be resolved immediately by sending the refugees to countries that grant political asylum, the closest being Australia and Canada,” he said afterwards. the plenary meeting of the MUI Leadership Council 2023 in Jakarta, last Friday (11/17).

Apart from that, Sudarnoto said his party asked MUI representatives in Aceh to dialogue and find solutions so that the people and authorities of Aceh can allow the disembarkation of ships carrying Rohingya immigrants in the region, as a form of humanity.

“MUI representatives in Aceh, North Sumatra, can dialogue with the local government or invite interfaith communities to discuss this issue further, so that it does not give up. If nothing is done, in the end, the government [Indonesia] will also be blamed,” he said

Previously, the arrival of the third wave of Rohingya immigrants in November 2023 on the Aceh coast was rejected by the community, even though the previous two ships were accepted by the Pidie Regency government.

A wave of hundreds of Rohingya immigrants arrives in Aceh

For information, last week, Aceh was visited by a wave of hundreds of Rohingya refugees using boats.

First, on Tuesday (11/14) on the coast of Gampong Blang Raya, Muara Tiga district, Pidie regency, 200 people, six of whom fled.

The next day, Wednesday (15/1), 147 Rohingya immigrants landed again in the Beurandeh beach area, Batee district, Pidie regency.

The Rohingya who came from two waves to Pidie were accommodated in the Mina Raya Foundation camp Gampong Leun Tanjung, Padang Tiji district, Pidie regency, Aceh.

Then, 249 Rohingya immigrants landed in Bireuen Regency again late last week. They are temporarily placed in the West Lapang Fish Refuge Area, Gandapura District, Bireuen.

According to the information received, these immigrants were those who were previously rejected by the people of Terang Bireuen and then landed in North Aceh.

They were again rejected by the population of North Aceh until the ship carrying refugees was pushed back into the ocean. Finally, on Sunday (11/19), Rohingya immigrants landed in the West Field district of Bireuen.

“The Rohingya refugees are still at the TPI Lapang Barat, for the moment they have been taken care of,” said the head of Gandapura district, Bireuen, Azmi, quoted by Antara.

“They were rejected from Panjang Bireuen, then to Ulee Madon, North Aceh and finally here. They are the same people,” Azmi added.

Azmi said that currently the local community has helped provide food and clothing to the immigrants.

“But people there are still refusing and we have also coordinated with UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) regarding the arrival of Rohingya immigrants,” he said.

In addition to the 249 refugees in Bireuen, 220 Rohingya immigrants also landed in the coastal area of ​​Gampong Kulee, Batee District, Pidie Regency, Aceh on the same day. However, until now, no special treatment has been applied.

Additionally, on the same day, 35 Rohingya were found in a truck after apparently disembarking from a boat in a coastal area in Madat District, East Aceh Regency.

The 35 immigrants were taken from a yellow truck covered with a tarpaulin without a license plate number. The Rohingya immigrants consisted of 18 men and 17 women and children. They have now been evacuated to the Idi Rayeuk Sports Center in East Aceh.***