TheJakartaPost
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Call for sanctions against Myanmar
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In unity: Leaders of Indonesia’s six official religions — Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism — call on the government and the global community to end violence against Rohingya people in an event at the Nahdlatul Ulama Central Board (PBNU) office in Jakarta on Sept.22. (Antara/Aprillio Akbar)
W
ith the humanitarian crisis of the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar unabated, Indonesian interfaith figures have called on the government to take stronger action against Yangon for its failure to address the persecution against its minority group.
The call was made amid fears that radical groups in the nation with the largest Muslim population are exploiting the Rohingya issue to advance their interests.
Leaders of Indonesia’s six official religions — Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism — gathered at the Nahdlatul Ulama Central Board (PBNU) office on Friday to reassert their unity in calling for the government and the global community to end the plight of the Rohingya.
They expressed their disappointment over the persisting widespread persecution of Rohingya people, which had largely happened under the nose of the Myanmar government.
Confucian Supreme Council of Indonesia (Matakin) chairman Uung Sendana said Indonesia could push for the international community to impose sanctions on Myanmar if the country kept doing nothing to address the violence against Rohingya Muslims.
“If [Myanmar] showed no efforts to stop the violence, the country could be sanctioned [...] through the UN or the International Criminal Court for human rights violations,” Uung told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of the event.
However, Uung went on to say that he still had hopes for Myanmar to take action to improve the situation, adding that he expected the Indonesian government would also continue efforts to provide humanitarian relief for the Rohingya minority.
