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Issues persist for refugees in Indonesia despite efforts from government, international organizations
In celebration of World Refugee Day, the UNHCR hosted a cooking event where refugees and locals relished in each others’ cuisines amid long-standing rights issues for the former.
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Asylum seekers go about their day at a temporary shelter in Kalideres, West Jakarta, on Sept. 5, 2019. (Antara/Rivan Awal Lingga)
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orld Refugee Day, which fell on Monday, was celebrated by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Indonesia via a cooking event in Jakarta where refugees and locals relished in each others’ cuisines amid long standing rights issues for the former.
Held in Senayan City shopping mall, the event was the first celebration of World Refugee Day organized after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19 restrictions.
A refugee from Uganda, Farida, collaborated with chef Haryo Pramoe to put together nasi goreng kambing (Indonesian fried rice with goat curry) and matooke katogo – a Ugandan classic consisting of green bananas and beef in a thick curry braise.
As the aroma of sauteed herbs and spices wafted from the pans, the UNHCR representative to Indonesia, Ann Maymann, said that the occasion of eating together was a symbol of unity and a sense of community across diverse cultures.
“[Refugee] safety is not just about getting into safe territory. It is about living with dignity and respect, and we do that by treating refugees as fellow human beings. What better way than to meet around a meal?” she said. “Everyone cooks. Everyone eats. It is universal.”
Data from the UNHCR show that Indonesia is host to 9,991 refugees and 3,158 asylum seekers living in Greater Jakarta, Aceh, Surabaya, Kupang and several other cities. Indonesia is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention nor its 1967 Protocol, making it a country with limited opportunities for refugees, who thus often perceive Indonesia as a transit area before being resettled in third countries, especially Australia.
Read also: Still in limbo: Afghan refugees in Indonesia see nothing new about 2022
