Rohingya Refugee: Rejection and Controversies in Aceh, Indonesia

Conflict in Myanmar makes the Rohingya, one of the ethnicities in Myanmar, flee to several countries including Indonesia. Last November, 1.684 Rohingya people were recorded in Aceh, Indonesia which is located in 8 refugee camps. Achmad Marzuki, acting governor of Aceh said "It is true that there is no particular area for Rohingya refugees, especially as the number of the refugees reaches thousands and meeting basic needs is quite difficult. Maybe, it's the society's reasons to reject Rohingya and it is equitable." to the media, Monday, December 11. "There are still a lot of poor people here," said Ella Septia, one of Pidie residents in Aceh. "Why should we care about the thousands of Rohingya who are trouble makers? They have a bad influence. Some of them escape, doing sex before marriage and drugs." she added. Those actions clearly violate Aceh's rule which uses islamic law in its autonomy. President Jokowi said to temporarily accommodate the refugees during discussions with international organizations, UNHCR. "Temporary humanitarian aid for refugees will be given by prioritizing the local community." Jokowi said in a Youtube pers conference on Friday, December 8, 2023.