Indonesian students storm into Rohingya refugee camp, demand deportation of refugees

A large group of Indonesian students on December 27 took aggressive action against Rohingya refugees by storming into a temporary shelter where the refugees were housed. 

The students' demanded the Rohingyas to be deported from Indonesia. The incident at the convention center in Banda Aceh was marked by distressing scenes as the students, identifiable by their university jackets, chanted for the eviction of the Rohingya and disrupted the temporary shelter. Videos captured the chaos, showing the refugees, including women and children, in a state of fear and crying as their belongings were kicked around by the protesters.

The police, who were present at the scene, eventually acquiesced to the students' demands, assisting in the relocation of the refugees to trucks that transported them to another government office nearby. This act of forced removal was met with condemnation by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), which called for better protection of the vulnerable refugee families.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has attributed the recent surge in Rohingya arrivals to human trafficking and has pledged to collaborate with international organizations to provide temporary shelter. However, Indonesia is not a signatory to the UN refugee convention and has urged other countries to share the responsibility of resettling the Rohingya.

The Rohingya, a Muslim minority group from Myanmar, have faced severe persecution and violence in their home country, leading to a mass exodus with many seeking refuge in neighboring countries like Bangladesh and Indonesia. Over 1,500 Rohingya refugees have arrived on the shores of Aceh since mid-November, marking the largest influx in eight years, according to the United Nations.

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