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Many shades of grey in Rohingya issue: How long can we go on?
The nuanced complexities surrounding the influx of Rohingya refugees in Aceh, especially in light of the recent rise in negative narratives on social media, require a solution that also takes into account the rights and aspirations of local communities.
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Manna from ulema: Rohingya children eat food donated by the Aceh Ulema Council (MPU) at a temporary shelter in the basement of a government building in Banda Aceh on Dec. 30, 2023, after they were forced to move on Dec. 27 when hundreds of university students protested against their presence at a previous location. (AFP/Chaideer Mahyuddin)
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ohingya communities transiting in Indonesia en route to their destination country is not a new phenomenon, and can be traced back almost 15 years to their initial landing in Sabang in 2009.
From then until now, there has been a consistent influx of Rohingya people, varying in scale and predominantly entering through Aceh. According to the Foreign Ministry, Indonesia recorded 1,155 Rohingya asylum seekers and refugees from 2020 to 2022 alone.
The most recent arrivals came a few weeks ago and consisted of 1,543 individuals, of whom 70 percent were women and children, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
While the 2023 influx did capture national headlines, it wasn’t the scale that stood out: It was the response from local communities across Aceh that refused to host and receive the Rohingya people. This refusal was not subtle, with Rohingya tents being dismantled in Sabang and Pidie, and local communities in Bireuen actively preventing Rohingya boats from landing and forcing them back out to sea.
Most recently, students from various universities in Banda Aceh held a demonstration and forcibly told 137 Rohingyas to vacate their temporary shelters while demanding their expulsion.
Such widespread rejection of Rohingya refugees in Aceh is unprecedented, particularly given the local and religious norms that traditionally support a welcoming attitude toward them.
Previously, hosting Rohingya people was viewed as showing solidarity with fellow Muslims and embodying the peumulia jamee norm that emphasizes hosting guests as an honor and the meulaot custom, which highlights the duty of local seafaring communities in aiding those in distress at sea.
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