It has been recorded that since 2010, many boat people have visited Aceh Beach. In those years, they were well received and perhaps now they have become Indonesian citizens or have continued to Malaysia. Regarding this matter, let’s first review the history of the origin of the arrival of the Rohingya ethnic group to Indonesia and the attitude of the Government of the Republic of Indonesia regarding it.
What is the history of the Rohingya ethnic group in Burma, Myanmar?
Rohingya people have similar ethnicities to Bengali people in Southern Bangladesh, the language they use to speak with their fellow Rohingya people is also the same as that spoken by their distant relatives from Bangladesh, this shows that the two of them have quite strong blood ties.
The history of the existence of the Rohingya ethnic group in Myanmar dates back to the era of the Mrauk U kingdom, especially during the era of King Narameikhla who ruled Burma from 1430-1434. Before coming to power in Burma, King Narameikhla was exiled to Bengal, Narameikhla then regained control thanks to the help of the Bengal sultan.
Along with the coming to power of Narameikhla, Muslim residents from Bangladesh also entered the Arakan region, Rakhine. In its development, the number of Muslim settlers from Bangladesh continued to increase, especially when the British controlled Rakhine. Due to the small human population in Rakhine. The British colonial government brought many Bengalis to Rakhine to work as farmers.
In 1785, the Burmese kingdom (now Myanmar) invaded the Rakhine region and succeeded in controlling it but did not recognize the existence of the Rohingya ethnic group. When the British conducted a population census in 1911, Muslim settlements in Arakan already numbered 58 thousand people.
This number continues to increase from year to year, making the local population, the majority of whom are Buddhists, feel worried. So a conflict arose with the Rohingya Muslims. This case is growing from year to year and causes thousands of Rohingya boat people to visit neighboring countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia or Bangladesh. At first, the arrival of Rohingya Muslim refugees was welcomed by the people of Aceh,
However, as time went by, the conflict caused by the presence of Rohingya migrants made the people of Aceh fight against them, which led to a viral incident, the Rohingya boat people who landed in Aceh were told to sail back to the sea and were not allowed to land on the coast of Aceh, even though they were still given food by residents.
What is the attitude of the Government of the Republic of Indonesia towards Rohingya refugees?
The following is the attitude of the government of the Republic of Indonesia towards Rohingya refugees in 2023.
The Government of the Republic of Indonesia suspects that there is a criminal act of human trafficking (TPPO) related to thousands of Rohingya refugees who have returned to Indonesia, especially to Aceh.
“I received reports about the increasing number of Rohingya refugees entering Indonesian territory, especially Aceh Province. “There are strong suspicions that there is involvement of a criminal human trafficking network (TPPO) in this flow of refugees,” said President Jokowi
President Jokowi emphasized that the government will take firm action against TIP perpetrators regarding the influx of Rohingya refugees.
“The Indonesian government will take firm action against perpetrators of TIP,” he stressed.
The President further said that the government would provide temporary assistance for Rohingya refugees while still prioritizing the interests of local communities. Apart from that, the Indonesian government will also continue to coordinate with international organizations to handle the Rohingya refugee problem.
“Temporary humanitarian assistance to refugees will be provided by prioritizing the interests of local communities,” said President Jokowi again. (source setkab.go.id)
So regarding the case of thousands of Rohingya migrants heading to Aceh, the Indonesian government is willing to accept and provide assistance to them within a certain time, but still prioritize the interests of residents such as Aceh residents who are Indonesian citizens.
