Retno Marsudi: Rohingya Refugees May Be Victims of Human Trafficking
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14 December 2023 19:04 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi stressed that there are strong indications that thousands of Rohingya refugees who have landed in Aceh since last month are victims of human trafficking and people smuggling. She made the statement at the Second Global Refugee Forum in Geneva, Switzerland, on Wednesday, Dec. 13.
The forum was hosted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and attended by more than 140 countries.
At the forum, Retno said that the world is facing a dramatic surge in refugees, with wars and conflicts in various countries among the causes. “We all have to play our part in ending wars and conflicts. We all have the same responsibility to respect international law, including international humanitarian law,” the minister said as quoted from the press statement released on Thursday, Dec. 14.
Retno highlighted the deteriorating situation in Palestine which is under relentless Israeli attack and the situation of the Rohingya ethnic group who are forced to leave Myanmar. She called on the international community to work together to end the conflict in Myanmar so that the Rohingya refugees can return home safely.
“Human trafficking issues add to the complexity and difficulty of handling refugee issues. I convey that Indonesia will not hesitate to fight human trafficking, which is a transnational crime,” she added.
However, she said Indonesia could not work alone and stressed the need for cooperation both in Southeast Asia and globally.
“I also emphasize the importance of strengthening cooperation with UNODC, UNHCR, and IOM in addressing this problem,” Retno said, referring to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and the International Organization for Migration.
Additionally, Retno stressed that state parties to the Refugee Convention must live up to their international obligations, which include providing resettlement. “The resettlement process has shown very little progress, and state parties are even closing their doors to new resettlements.”
Retno Marsudi went on to say that Indonesia is committed to working together on the Bali Process, a forum for cooperation in the fight against human trafficking.
NABIILA AZZAHRA A.
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