TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The House of Representatives (DPR) Commission I overseeing national defense demanded the government maintain protection for asylum seekers living in a refugee post in Kalideres, West Jakarta.

The commission member Charles Honoris said that the massive number of asylum seekers was caused by rampant violence in various parts of the world, such as in Afghanistan and Syria. The PDIP politician, therefore, opined the Indonesian government should provide them shelters on humanitarian grounds.

“The government is obliged to ensure asylum seekers dwelling in Indonesia can live humanely,” said Charles on Monday, July 22.

The government, he added, should coordinate with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to assure a country for refugee replacement because Indonesia is merely a transit country.

However, Charles mentioned the Commission I has yet to establish a hearing session with the government in light of the asylum seekers. “Not yet.”

Indonesia is flooding with a high number of asylum seekers amounted to 1,155 people. They now occupy the former building of the West Jakarta Military Command (Kodim), Kalideres, West Java.

“This is a consequence of Indonesia as a UNHCR member to be willing as a transit country,” said the Commission I deputy speaker Satya Widya Yudha when contacted on Monday, July 22.

As for the time the asylum seekers can live in the country and social impact that will emerge from that, Satya said, the matter must be clarified.

FIKRI ARIGI