Jakarta, Aug 17, 2012 (ANTARA) - After expressing concern for and solidarity
with the Rohingya ethnic minority, Indonesia will now offer concrete
assistance to the community, which has become a victim of discrimination
and violence in Myanmar`s Rakhine province.
In his state of the nation address to the Parliament on Thursday, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono reiterated Indonesia`s commitment towards solving the problems of the Rohingya Muslims.
"I have sent a letter to Myanmar President Thein Sein, offering my support and encouragement to the local government and urging them to resolve the conflict," the president said in his speech.
Later in the day, he met with former vice president M Jusuf Kalla, who had visited Myanmar recently. After the meeting with Kalla, Yudhoyono told the media that Indonesia will help build houses for and provide food to Rohingya refugees.
He added that he hoped for Kalla to become a special envoy for the Rohingya people at the international level.
"I hope Pak Jusuf Kalla with his extraordinary experiences, becomes our special envoy to help prevent any misunderstandings with Myanmar about Indonesia`s concern for the Rohingya humanitarian issue. We want to help our brothers in the Rohingya ethnic community," Yudhoyono stated.
The president also spoke about his meeting with Kalla, before the latter`s trip to Myanmar, where he conveyed to the former vice president several ideas for conflict resolution that could be passed on to the government of Myanmar.
The president pointed out that the Myanmarese government has allowed Indonesia to participate in helping solve the Rohingya problem, particularly the hardships currently being faced by victims of the conflict and refugees.
"Pak Jusuf Kalla and I tackled similar domestic problems in Ambon and Poso. The conditions existent in that situation were more or less similar. Therefore, it`s good if Indonesia can play a constructive role in Myanmar as well," he noted.
The president also asked Kalla to coordinate Indonesia`s endeavors and assistance before his scheduled meeting with prominent figures in Myanmar in the near future.
Violence between Myanmarese Buddhists and Rohingyas has left scores dead, with official figures pegging the number of deaths caused by initial fighting in June this year at 80. The entire state has been under emergency rule since early June with heavy army and police presence.
Decades of discrimination have left the Rohingyas stateless, and they are viewed by the United Nations as one of the world`s most persecuted minorities.
Kalla visited Myanmar and was received by President Thein Sein at his presidential palace in Nay Pyi Taw on August 9.
The visit was a follow up from a meeting between NGOs from 20 member states of the OIC held in Kuala Lumpur on August 3. At the meeting, the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) were requested to meet with the Myanmarese government and persuade it to allow humanitarian aid access in the strife-ridden Rakhine province.
The Myanmarese government has responded positively and appreciates the initiative taken by Kalla, who is also PMI chairman, in dealing with the Rohingya problem, a statement from PMI said.
President Sein told his Indonesian guests that recent media reports suggest that the ethnic conflict in Rakhine had turned into a sectarian conflict.
"The Myanmarese president has asked us to personally visit the area to assess what has happened. We plan to go to Sitwee in the Rakhine province on Saturday, and will be one of the first groups that are being allowed to enter the city," Kalla stated in Myanmar on Friday.
Kalla and his entourage, which included former Indonesian ambassador to Russia Hamid Awaluddin, Indonesian Ambassador to Myanmar S Sumarsono, assistant to the OIC Secretary General Atta Abdul Mannan and Qatar`s Red Crescent president Mohamed Ghanim Al-Maadheed, have gotten a chance to take a closer look at the condition of the Rohingya refugees.
"The PMI is in Myanmar on a humanitarian mission, so we have to follow the principles of impartiality and independence," Kalla said earlier this week.
Upon his return to Jakarta, Kalla invited the media and NGOs to share the plan for offering humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya refugees.
Kalla elaborated that the OIC will build 8,000 houses for refugees residing in the Rakhine province, in an area demarcated by the government of Myanmar.
PMI`s meeting was attended by representatives of the Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C), the Rapid Response Action (ACT), Dompet Dhuafa, the Indonesian Humanitarian Forum (HFI) and the National Alms Agency BAZNAS.
Imam Akbari of ACT praised Kalla for his diplomatic efforts that have been able to pave the way for humanitarian organizations getting access to the Rohingya people.
Saudi King Abdullah has also announced a grant of $50 million for the Rohingyas, the country`s SPA news agency reported.
In a meeting held in Mecca on August 14 and 15, which was initiated by the Saudi King, the OIC discussed the Rohingya issue along with matters related to Palestine and Syria.
"The OIC deeply regrets the violence against the Rohingya ethnic group in Myanmar. The organization urges the Myanmar government to begin a rehabilitation and reconciliation process in the Rakhine province," the OIC said in a statement. ***3***
(f001/INE/B003)
(T.F001/A/KR-BSR/B003) 17-08-2012 20:38:28
In his state of the nation address to the Parliament on Thursday, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono reiterated Indonesia`s commitment towards solving the problems of the Rohingya Muslims.
"I have sent a letter to Myanmar President Thein Sein, offering my support and encouragement to the local government and urging them to resolve the conflict," the president said in his speech.
Later in the day, he met with former vice president M Jusuf Kalla, who had visited Myanmar recently. After the meeting with Kalla, Yudhoyono told the media that Indonesia will help build houses for and provide food to Rohingya refugees.
He added that he hoped for Kalla to become a special envoy for the Rohingya people at the international level.
"I hope Pak Jusuf Kalla with his extraordinary experiences, becomes our special envoy to help prevent any misunderstandings with Myanmar about Indonesia`s concern for the Rohingya humanitarian issue. We want to help our brothers in the Rohingya ethnic community," Yudhoyono stated.
The president also spoke about his meeting with Kalla, before the latter`s trip to Myanmar, where he conveyed to the former vice president several ideas for conflict resolution that could be passed on to the government of Myanmar.
The president pointed out that the Myanmarese government has allowed Indonesia to participate in helping solve the Rohingya problem, particularly the hardships currently being faced by victims of the conflict and refugees.
"Pak Jusuf Kalla and I tackled similar domestic problems in Ambon and Poso. The conditions existent in that situation were more or less similar. Therefore, it`s good if Indonesia can play a constructive role in Myanmar as well," he noted.
The president also asked Kalla to coordinate Indonesia`s endeavors and assistance before his scheduled meeting with prominent figures in Myanmar in the near future.
Violence between Myanmarese Buddhists and Rohingyas has left scores dead, with official figures pegging the number of deaths caused by initial fighting in June this year at 80. The entire state has been under emergency rule since early June with heavy army and police presence.
Decades of discrimination have left the Rohingyas stateless, and they are viewed by the United Nations as one of the world`s most persecuted minorities.
Kalla visited Myanmar and was received by President Thein Sein at his presidential palace in Nay Pyi Taw on August 9.
The visit was a follow up from a meeting between NGOs from 20 member states of the OIC held in Kuala Lumpur on August 3. At the meeting, the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) were requested to meet with the Myanmarese government and persuade it to allow humanitarian aid access in the strife-ridden Rakhine province.
The Myanmarese government has responded positively and appreciates the initiative taken by Kalla, who is also PMI chairman, in dealing with the Rohingya problem, a statement from PMI said.
President Sein told his Indonesian guests that recent media reports suggest that the ethnic conflict in Rakhine had turned into a sectarian conflict.
"The Myanmarese president has asked us to personally visit the area to assess what has happened. We plan to go to Sitwee in the Rakhine province on Saturday, and will be one of the first groups that are being allowed to enter the city," Kalla stated in Myanmar on Friday.
Kalla and his entourage, which included former Indonesian ambassador to Russia Hamid Awaluddin, Indonesian Ambassador to Myanmar S Sumarsono, assistant to the OIC Secretary General Atta Abdul Mannan and Qatar`s Red Crescent president Mohamed Ghanim Al-Maadheed, have gotten a chance to take a closer look at the condition of the Rohingya refugees.
"The PMI is in Myanmar on a humanitarian mission, so we have to follow the principles of impartiality and independence," Kalla said earlier this week.
Upon his return to Jakarta, Kalla invited the media and NGOs to share the plan for offering humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya refugees.
Kalla elaborated that the OIC will build 8,000 houses for refugees residing in the Rakhine province, in an area demarcated by the government of Myanmar.
PMI`s meeting was attended by representatives of the Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C), the Rapid Response Action (ACT), Dompet Dhuafa, the Indonesian Humanitarian Forum (HFI) and the National Alms Agency BAZNAS.
Imam Akbari of ACT praised Kalla for his diplomatic efforts that have been able to pave the way for humanitarian organizations getting access to the Rohingya people.
Saudi King Abdullah has also announced a grant of $50 million for the Rohingyas, the country`s SPA news agency reported.
In a meeting held in Mecca on August 14 and 15, which was initiated by the Saudi King, the OIC discussed the Rohingya issue along with matters related to Palestine and Syria.
"The OIC deeply regrets the violence against the Rohingya ethnic group in Myanmar. The organization urges the Myanmar government to begin a rehabilitation and reconciliation process in the Rakhine province," the OIC said in a statement. ***3***
(f001/INE/B003)
(T.F001/A/KR-BSR/B003) 17-08-2012 20:38:28
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