RI expects Myanmar to speak up on Rohingya issue at Bali meeting

Niken Prathivi ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Nusa Dua, Bali   |  Wed, 04/15/2009 1:50 PM  |  National

Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said Wednesday that Indonesia expected Myanmarese delegates to speak up about the Rohingya refugee problem to help settle people smuggling issues during the Bali meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali.

"Although the main agenda of the Bali Process will be to discuss the bigger picture of the three issues [people smuggling, human trafficking and related transnational crimes], I really hope representatives from Myanmar and Bangladesh will make a statement in order to seek a way out for Rohingya refugees," Hassan said on the sidelines of the two-day Third Bali Regional Ministerial Conference on People Smuggling, Human Trafficking and Related Transnational Crimes.

A Foreign Ministry team has verified the nationality of the first group of nearly 200 Rohingya refugees who arrived in Sabang in January, but refused to disclose how many  would leave Indonesia voluntarily.

The team said that of the refugees, around 60 were from Bangladesh and nearly 140 from Myanmar, with one individual's identity yet to be determined.

Rohingya refugees have presented a significant diplomatic and humanitarian quandary for many countries, mainly because of their persecution by Myanmar's military junta. The Rohingya are a Muslim minority in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, and the military regime refuses to recognize them as one of the country's 130 minorities.

Hassan said that the Bali ministerial meeting would also make use of an ad-hoc team to establish why the refugees decided to illegally migrate.

"We have to conduct a thorough study to determine whether they were looking for asylum due to political pressure from their government or because they sought a better living due to economic pressure."

The Bali meeting is currently being attended by 41 Asia-Pacific country members, 19 observing countries and 13 international organizations. (dre)
 

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