Rohingya crisis in Indonesia a ‘ticking time bomb’ if political indifference, misinformation continue: analysts

Analysts point to social-media disinformation to ‘discredit’ and ‘demonise’ Rohingya refugees in the lead-up to the presidential election in February

They say the government has not been inclined to counter such narratives, which have stoked paranoia about the refugees and led to conflict

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Rohingya refugees rest in a temporary shelter at the Indonesian Red Cross Office, after being evacuated from the sea at Meulaboh, West Aceh, Indonesia, on March 22. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 12:30pm, 6 Apr 2024

The orange truck crammed with 75 Rohingya survivors of a capsized boat was told to hurry along by Indonesian police in Beureugang, West Aceh, as dozens of angry villagers gave chase, shouting “[we] reject the presence of refugees here!”

Footage of the incident on March 21 was screened by a number of television channels across Indonesia and observers say the growing hostility is nothing new, attributing it to misinformation campaigns and political indifference towards the plight of Rohingya refugees in the country.

But “things were not always like this”, said Fairuz Khan, a 24-year-old Rohingya who arrived in Indonesia in January last year. He had spent 29 days at sea after fleeing the Cox’s Bazar refugee camp in Bangladesh until he reached Aceh, where he found the local reception to be “welcoming”.

Rohingya refugees rest at the temporary shelter in Suak Nie village following their arrival in the waters of West Aceh, Aceh province, Indonesia, on March 22. Photo: Antara Foto via Reuters

Rohingya refugees from Myanmar have been arriving in Aceh ever since 2016, when the Naypyidaw government started its genocidal campaign against the Muslim minority group. Sentiments among Indonesians have shifted sharply against them in just the last year, however.

Observers warn of a “ticking time bomb”, saying worse conflict between locals and refugees is inevitable without a concerted effort to counteract the false narratives against the Rohingya.

Khan, who acts as an interpreter for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), was on the ground last month to help with the rescue of the 151 refugees aboard the capsized boat, working in tandem with Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas).

Al Hussain, Basarnas’ Aceh chief, said his teams were doing their best but were stretched thin. “The boat was headed back into open sea after local residents refused to let it come ashore [on March 19]. We were only alerted [it had capsized] afterwards and arrived on the scene two days later.”

Rohingya refugees are seen on a capsized boat before being rescued in the waters of West Aceh, Indonesia, on March 21. Photo: Reuters

Rohingya crisis in Indonesia a ‘ticking time bomb’ if political indifference, misinformation continue: analysts

Analysts point to social-media disinformation to ‘discredit’ and ‘demonise’ Rohingya refugees in the lead-up to the presidential election in February They say the government has not been inclined to counter such narratives, which have stoked paranoia about the refugees and led to conflict

Analysts point to social-media disinformation to ‘discredit’ and ‘demonise’ Rohingya refugees in the lead-up to the presidential election in February

They say the government has not been inclined to counter such narratives, which have stoked paranoia about the refugees and led to conflict