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Indonesia defends approach to Rohingya problem as international pressure mounts
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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
ith fresh pressure on Myanmar over the alleged genocide that had driven thousands of Rohingya Muslims out of the country, Indonesia urged the international community to stop “pointing fingers” at the Buddhist-majority country and build trust through dialogue instead.
Myanmar was faced last week with renewed pressure internationally over a 2017 military crackdown on the Rohingya, which United Nations investigators insisted was carried out with “genocidal intent”. More than 730,000 people have fled to Bangladesh to avoid persecution.
The small African nation of Gambia moved on Monday to hold Myanmar accountable for the refugee crisis, bringing the country to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
The UN General Assembly adopted on Thursday a resolution on the human rights situation for Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar, filed by the United Arab Emirates and Finland on behalf of the OIC and the European Union. It was followed by an announcement that the International Criminal Court (ICC) had approved a prosecution request to investigate crimes against humanity, which was rejected by Myanmar.
Then over the weekend, the OIC condemned the “inhumane” situation of the minority and urged Myanmar to put an end to the violence, reminding it of the responsibility to protect its citizens.
The moves were partly a result of efforts devised by the OIC contact group on Myanmar, which had focused on drafting strategies to deal with the Rohingya refugee crisis, said Kamapradipta Isnomo, the Foreign Ministry’s international organizations for developing countries director.
“There is a sense of solidarity with the Rohingya refugees to pressure Myanmar, but Indonesia was the only OIC member that took a different approach – we have to build trust and confidence in Myanmar so that they want to open up to us,” Kama told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
