ROHINGYAS -- IOM ASSISTING INDONESIA TO ASSESS

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 000162 DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, DRL FOR GPAZ, NSC FOR EPHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/30/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF ID BM SUBJECT: ROHINGYAS -- IOM ASSISTING INDONESIA TO ASSESS NEEDS REF: A. JAKARTA (S.HARSHA) - EAP/MTS 01/28/2009 E-MAIL ¶B. JAKARQ 128 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (U) This message contains an Action Request -- Please see para 12. ¶2. (C) SUMMARY: The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Indonesian Department of Foreign Affairs (Deplu) began interviewing January 28 the 193 Burmese and Bangladeshi boat people living in a military camp in Aceh Province, Sumatra. The group is being well taken care of by the GOI, but lack of resources for food and medicine is making the situation difficult. IOM is seeking funding to take care of the group's immediate and long-term care. ¶3. (C) SUMMARY (Con'd): Despite off-and-on unhelpful public statements by the GOI, Deplu has privately said it shares international concern about the group's humanitarian treatment. Deplu and IOM are discussing how to settle the refugees temporarily in Indonesia while a permanent, humane solution can be found. This plan would entail UNHCR access at some point. We continue to impress on the GOI the need to provide UNHCR access. END SUMMARY. IOM WORKING WITH ROHINGYAS ¶4. (C) IOM accompanied Deplu officials to Sabang Island off the northern coast of Aceh to assess the situation of the 193 Burmese and Bangladeshi refugees rescued by the Indonesian Navy on January 7. A manifest of the group with photos we obtained listed 170 Rohingyas and 23 Bengalis, including 31 under age 18 and as young as 12 years old. All were males with Islamic names. ¶5. (C) IOM Country Director Steve Cook briefed DepPol/C on the initial findings based on the first four interviews held January 28-29. An IOM interpreter fluent in Rohingya and Bengali was used in the interviews which are ongoing. Cook said the three Burmese Rohingya and one Bengali interviewed recounted a saga of their travel from Burma: -- Refugees paid smugglers to take them to Malaysia where they could join relatives who could help them find jobs. One of the refugees departed from Burma on a boat with 110 occupants. Payment was guaranteed by the relatives. -- Picked up by Thai authorities in Thailand, they were detained and beaten on the beach before being reloaded onto different boats. The Thais squeezed 193 onto one boat less than 15 meters long, one of four boats launched from that site. -- Members of the group are without documentation and Thai authorities confiscated the UNHCR-issued IDs which some Rohingyas held. GOI GRAPPLING WITH SITUATION ¶6. (C) Cook said the Deplu official leading the delegation agreed with IOM on the need for Indonesia to deal with the situation in a humanitarian way. Cook said there is no easy solution and the GOI genuinely does not know how to best handle this. IOM is discussing with the GOI a temporary settlement of the refugees in Indonesia under IOM care while a long-term solution can be found. Under this scenario, UNHCR would gain access once the GOI and IOM have completed their assessment and decided on the next steps. ¶7. (C) The Bangladeshi told IOM that while the 23 Bengalis in the group would rather not return home they would agree to do so if they had no other choice. The Rohingyas, on the other hand, said they would face execution or prison if they returned and would refuse to do so. They said their primary purpose for leaving Burma was persecution with economic motives being only secondary. The Burmese government is unlikely to accept them in any case, Cook said. ¶8. (C) In May 2006, 77 Rohingyas headed for Malaysia also ended up in Sabang and were taken care of by IOM and UNHCR. These 77 were resettled humanely in Indonesia but eventually slipped out of the country. Indonesia currently has about 700 refugees or asylum seekers under UNHCR care, including 13 Rohingyas. ¶9. (C) Indonesia wants to do right with the Rohingyas but is worried that if it resettles the refugees in Indonesia this will open the floodgates for Rohingyas using Indonesia's shores for transit en route to other destinations, sources told us. On January 30 the Deplu spokesman indicated to the press that the group might be sent back to Burma, contradicting private assurances given to IOM. Jim O'Callaghan, Minister Counselor for Immigration at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, told DepPol/C that Australia shares the same concern that masses of Rohingyas would seek Indonesia as a transit point for travel to Australia should these Rohingyas be resettled in Indonesia. In 2008, Indonesian police interdicted about 200 persons from South Asia being smuggled to Australia, and many more made it through to Australia, Callaghan said. ¶10. (C) The head of refugee protection for UNHCR Francis Teoh told DepPol/C on January 30 that he was still awaiting a meeting with Deplu to discuss access. UNHCR would very likely have funding to help once it has received access and can access the situation. Mission has urged the GOI to grant UNHCR access as soon as possible. A LACK OF SUPPLIES ¶11. (C) DepPol/C visited Aceh on January 27-29 to assess the situation, speaking with the IOM and Deplu officials on the scene as well as with Sabang officials and the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) office in Aceh. PMI Aceh said it has run out of supplies to meet the refugee group's immediate needs and that the Sabang government is running low on even rice to feed them. The Indonesian Navy has provided doctors but has no medicine. The Navy staff reportedly is exhausted trying to deal with the large group. PMI has asked the American Red Cross and the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) to provide immediate assistance. ACTION REQUEST ¶12. (C) IOM is asking the USG and Australia for assistance because it has no budget for the situation. To address immediate need for food, medicine, tents, mattresses and clothing, $25,000 is needed. The longer-term need will require $235 per month per refugee for food, housing and comprehensive care. IOM cannot predict how many persons will require assistance or for how long. This budget does not include personnel or administrative costs which IOM can incur by using staff funded by the Australians. Callaghan told DepPol/C that Australia is considering the IOM request to help. We request PRM to advise whether there is any possible funding to help IOM and the GOI with this situation. END ACTION REQUEST. HUME