Indonesian VP: Suspected human smuggling linked to Rohingya refugee inflow

 Indonesian VP: Suspected human smuggling linked to Rohingya refugee inflow

                                                        Source en.antaranews.com

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin announced on Monday that the Indonesian government is looking into the possible connection between human trafficking and the rise in Rohingya refugee arrivals in Indonesia and other countries.

We're trying to ascertain why they're coming here. They are not travelling to Indonesia; rather, it is a sort of transit country where we discovered evidence of possible human trafficking. Now, this needs to be stopped before it develops into an ongoing issue," he continued.

According to Amin, stopping human trafficking is necessary to keep the Rohingya refugee crisis from getting worse over time.

He brought out the fact that Indonesia is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention of 1952.

Amin stated that in addition to conducting trafficking prevention initiatives, the Indonesian government is still working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to find shelters for Rohingya refugees so that their arrival does not disrupt local life.

"We are also impeding any efforts by trafficking organisations, who are purportedly responsible for the Rohingya influx, to import Rohingya refugees. We'll be keeping a careful eye on this," he continued.

He clarified that humanitarian considerations played a major role in the government's decision to accept the Rohingya refugees.

"But it requires significant costs, therefore, we are coordinating with UNHCR, whose mandate includes supporting refugees," he stated.

Muhammad Amin, an ethnic Rohingya, has been detained and listed as a suspect by the Banda Aceh Police in connection with a possible instance of human smuggling to Indonesia.

"The 35-year-old suspect is a native of Myanmar. He is a refugee from the Rohingya shelter in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, known as Camp 1 Blok H-88 Kutupalum," stated Police Chief Commissioner Fahmi Irwan Ramli, the head of the Banda Aceh Police, on Monday.

 Source en.antaranews.com