Foreign Ministry's spokesperson, Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, stated at a press conference here on Tuesday that Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi will make this appeal at the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, on December 13-15.
"We see that the handling of this problem, especially related to resettlement, has been very slow so far. We will urge the obligation of all UN member states, especially countries in the Refugee Convention, to handle the Rohingyas," Iqbal stated.
The number of Rohingya refugees entering Indonesian territory has kept increasing. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) stated that more than 1,200 Rohingyas have landed in Indonesia since November 2023, with 300 of them arriving in Aceh last week.
Iqbal remarked that the root cause of a surge in Rohingya refugees is the ongoing conflict in Myanmar, which until now, has not been resolved.
He emphasized that Indonesia will do its best to help resolve the conflict in Myanmar.
Related news: Indonesia gives temporary stay to Rohingya refugees: Jokowi
President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had stated last week that a human trafficking network is suspected to be behind the arrival of Rohingya refugees in Indonesia.
Although not a party to the UN Refugee Convention, Indonesia temporarily assists and accommodates the refugees on humanitarian grounds.
President Jokowi stated that the government temporarily provides humanitarian assistance to Rohingya refugees by prioritizing the interests of local communities.
He promised to work with international organizations, especially the UNHCR, to deal with the problem.
"Indonesia continues to cooperate with international organizations, especially UNHCR and IOM (International Organization for Migration), to deal with this issue. We keep coordinating both at the UN level and on the field," Iqbal stated.
Related news: About 315 Rohingya land in Aceh, marking 9th wave since November
Translator: Shofi A, Kenzu
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Copyright © ANTARA 2023
