TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Reaching out to most oppressed minority
Instead of showing sympathy to the victims, Indonesia, as represented by its former ambassador, sided with the perpetrator, which was utterly disgraceful.
Change Size
In this file photo taken on October 19, 2017 Rohingya refugees who were stranded walk near the no man's land area between Bangladesh and Myanmar in the Palongkhali area next to Ukhia. Hundreds of desperate Rohingya Muslims still pour over the Myanmar border into Bangladesh camps every week, six months into the refugee crisis. (AFP/Munir Uz Zaman)
W
here we send representatives into the world, we too must ensure they embody the compassion, courage and humility necessary to perform the duties they are entrusted with completing by the citizens of their great nations.
The former Indonesian ambassador to Burma (Myanmar: the junta changed the country’s name without public consent), Ito Sumardi, had denied gross human rights violations and genocide against the Rohingya, showing that he was poorly informed.
During a Feb. 1 meeting with Burmese officials, ambassador Ito said he had not witnessed evidence that genocide had occurred against the Rohingya, and went as far as to say that the violence in Rakhine state was the result of conflict between indigenous Rakhine and immigrants (referring to the Rohingya).
Furthermore, in his interview with the media, he said he himself had seen no evidence of Rohingya mass graves.
Ito clarified that his visit was too short to be able to find any such evidence and that his statements shouldn’t be taken as conclusive on the subject.
Still, such statements and misconceptions are not only poorly informed, but give dangerous leverage to the Burmese military at a time they are desperately trying to cover up evidence of their crimes against the Rohingya.
The statements were a disservice to the ambassador’s office, to the oppressed and a poor representation of the Indonesians who have shown tremendous compassion and generosity towards the Rohingya.
