Current:Home > BackStudents in Indonesia protest the growing numbers of Rohingya refugees in Aceh province-LoTradeCoin
Students in Indonesia protest the growing numbers of Rohingya refugees in Aceh province
View Date:2024-12-23 19:11:09
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (AP) — Students in Indonesia’s Aceh province rallied on Wednesday demanding the government drive away Rohingya refugees arriving by boat in growing numbers as police named more suspects of human trafficking.
Over 1,500 Rohingya, who fled violent attacks in Myanmar and now are leaving camps in neighboring Bangladesh in search of better lives, have arrived in Aceh off the tip of Sumatra since November. They have faced some hostility from fellow Muslims in Aceh.
About 200 students protested in front of the provincial parliament in Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh province, to call on lawmakers to reject Rohingya refugees, saying their presence would bring social and economic upheaval in the community.
The protesters chanted “Get out Rohingya!” and criticized the government and the U.N. refugee agency for failing to manage the refugee arrivals. Some protesters burned tires on the street.
“We urged the parliament speaker to immediately take a firm action to remove all Rohingya refugees from Aceh,” said Teuku Wariza, a protest organizer.
The protesters marched to a local community hall in Banda Aceh, where about 135 Rohingya were taking shelter. The demonstrators threw out clothes and household items belonging to the refugees, forcing authorities to relocate them to another shelter.
Indonesia had once tolerated the refugees while Thailand and Malaysia pushed them away. But the growing hostility of some Indonesians toward the Rohingya has put pressure on President Joko Widodo’s government to take action.
Widodo earlier this month said the government suspected a surge in human trafficking for the increase in Rohingya arrivals.
Police in Banda Aceh on Wednesday named two more suspected human smugglers from Bangladesh and Myanmar following the arrival of one boat of refugees on Dec. 10. One of them, the captain, himself a refugee, was charged with trafficking.
“This is not an easy issue, this is an issue with enormous challenges,” Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi told reporters. “The UNHCR has reiterated his commitment to continue to assist the Indonesian government in addressing this situation.”
About 740,000 Rohingya were resettled in Bangladesh after fleeing their homes in Myanmar to escape a brutal counterinsurgency campaign carried out in 2017 by security forces. Accusations of mass rape, murder and the burning of entire villages are well documented, and international courts are considering whether Myanmar authorities committed genocide and other grave human rights abuses.
Efforts to repatriate the Rohingya have failed because of doubts their safety can be assured. The Rohingya are largely denied citizenship rights in Buddhist-majority Myanmar and face widespread social discrimination.
veryGood! (4968)
Related
- Exclusive Yankee Candle Sale: 50% Off Holiday Candles for a Limited Time
- A new satellite will track climate-warming pollution. Here's why that's a big deal
- JetBlue scraps $3.8 billion deal to buy Spirit Airlines
- A month after cyberattack, Chicago children’s hospital says some systems are back online
- Don't Miss Cameron Diaz's Return to the Big Screen Alongside Jamie Foxx in Back in Action Trailer
- Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and Threads down in widespread outage
- Cigarettes and cinema, an inseparable pair: Only one Oscar best-picture nominee has no smoking
- A month after cyberattack, Chicago children’s hospital says some systems are back online
- Trump announces Tom Homan, former director of immigration enforcement, will serve as ‘border czar’
- Jason Kelce officially hangs 'em up: Eagles All-Pro center retires after 13 seasons in NFL
Ranking
- These Yellowstone Gift Guide Picks Will Make You Feel Like You’re on the Dutton Ranch
- The Daily Money: Trump takes aim at DEI
- Tesla evacuates its Germany plant. Musk blames 'eco-terrorists' for suspected arson
- San Francisco votes on measures to compel drug treatment and give police surveillance cameras
- Wheel of Fortune Contestant Goes Viral Over His Hilariously Wrong Answer
- Supreme Court says Trump can appear on 2024 ballot, overturning Colorado ruling
- Crew Dragon docks with space station, bringing four fresh crew members to the outpost
- Kennedy Ryan's new novel, plus 4 other new romances by Black authors
Recommendation
-
FanDuel Sports Network regional channels will be available as add-on subscription on Prime Video
-
JetBlue scraps $3.8 billion deal to buy Spirit Airlines
-
Washington state lawmakers approve police pursuit and income tax initiatives
-
MH370 vanished a decade ago and search efforts stopped several years later. A U.S. company wants to try again.
-
What to know about Mississippi Valley State football player Ryan Quinney, who died Friday
-
EAGLEEYE COIN Trading Center - The New King of Cryptocurrency Markets
-
Regulator proposes capping credit card late fees at $8, latest in Biden campaign against ‘junk fees’
-
Riken Yamamoto, who designs dignity and elegance into daily life, wins Pritzker Prize