IDNEWSNOW.COM, Jakarta – The Solidarity Indonesia for Refugees (SIR) on Thursday urged the Indonesian government to take assertive action against the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which they deemed have sluggishly handled refugee issues in Indonesia.
This comes after the UNHCR openly urged the Indonesian government to welcome a group of Rohingya refugees who are afloat off the coast of Aceh.
“Many refugees reside in Indonesia for dozens of years, and their status is unclear, and now [UNHCR] wants to pile up more. The Indonesian government must be assertive against the UNHCR that has been slow in overcoming refugee issues in Indonesia,” said SIR Executive Director of Inter-Agency Relations Communication Maryam on December 30, Antaranews reported.
Maryam asserts Indonesia’s status as a country that had not ratified the 1951 convention and 1967 protocol on refugees and asylum seekers, insisting that Indonesia is not responsible to handle refugee migration.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo issued the President’s Decree No.125/2016 overseeing the handling of international refugees, which Maryam said is Indonesia’s humanitarian move.
However, Maryam argues that it is time for UNHCR to take serious actions and help solve the issue regarding refugees and asylum seekers that have ended up in Indonesia, many of them ending up staying in Indonesia for years. UNHCR is urged to communicate with countries that legally can accommodate refugees.
Read: Indonesia to Welcome Rohingya Refugees Adrift Off of Aceh Coast
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