ROHINGYA BOAT PEOPLE HOSTED BY ACEHNESE COMMUNITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 000182


DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, PRM FOR HTRAN; NSC FOR EPHU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/04/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF ID BM PK AF
SUBJECT: ROHINGYA BOAT PEOPLE HOSTED BY ACEHNESE COMMUNITY

REF: JAKARTA 176 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: Pol/C Joseph L. Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d).


1. (U) This message was coordinated with Consulate Medan and
Consulate General Surabaya.


2. (C) SUMMARY: The 198 Rohingyas that landed in northern
Aceh on February 2 are being well cared for by members of the
Acehnese community. The local government has asked the
International Organization for Migration (IOM) to assist, but
the Department of Foreign Affairs (Deplu) has so far not
given the go ahead.


3. (C) SUMMARY (Con'd): Meanwhile, IOM and Deplu have
concluded interviews of the first boatload of 173 Rohingyas
and 20 Bangladeshis who landed on Sabang Island, Aceh, on
January 7. While noting that it is positive that the
migrants are being taken care of, we have reiterated to the
GOI that the UNHCR should be granted access. In a separate
migration incident, police in Southeast Sulawesi Province
detained approximately 40 Afghan and Pakistani migrants and
four Indonesian smugglers. END SUMMARY.

ASSISTANCE FROM LOCAL COMMUNITY


4. (SBU) The second boatload of 198 Rohingyas to drift into
Indonesian waters in the past month was being treated
hospitably by local residents in the rural Sub-district of
Idie in East Aceh District. They are staying in tents at the
sub-district chief's office complex, treated at a local
hospital, and fed by local social services and Indonesian Red
Cross (PMI),Idie officials told ConGen Medan FSN. Although
the area is not a rich one, some of the Rohingyas were
housed, clothed and fed in people's homes as well.

IOM EFFORTS


5. (C) GOI authorities have begun interviewing the group,
but are hampered by not having a Rohingya interpreter.
Authorities are talking to the one Rohingya who can speak
Malay. Deplu, which had invited IOM to assist with the first
boatload of Rohingyas in Sabang and is using an IOM Rohingya
interpreter at that location, has declined IOM assistance for
this second group. The offer to dispatch the interpreter
from Sabang to Idie was also turned down. DepPol/C
reiterated on February 4 to Deplu officials the need to
provide UNHCR access to all the migrants and the desire of
the international community to help.


6. (C) IOM Country Director Steve Cook told DepPol/C that
the Idie Sub-district chief had asked for IOM assistance to
care for the refugees. Deplu had said IOM could provide
assistance only through the PMI, which Cook said IOM might be
willing to do, although IOM has no funds at this time.
Jesuit Relief Services (JRS) and the International Federation
of the Red Cross both told Cook that they have warehouses
full of food and supplies that they can provide if requested
by the GOI. However, JRS is only able to provide services
directly and could not work through the PMI.


7. (C) The USD 10,000 provided by Australian immigration for
the Sabang migrants has enabled IOM to provide good care over
the past several days, alleviating a severe shortage of food
and supplies, Cook told DepPol/C. The USD 15,000 IOM
requested from PRM will be needed by approximately February
13 in order to continue meeting emergency needs through
February.


8. (SBU) Local sources told ConGen Medan FSN that the
Rohingya boat in Idie apparently had been pushed off from
Thailand 21 days before arriving in Aceh. Indonesian
fishermen towed the 40-foot flat-bottomed boat to shore at 2
a.m. on February 2. The group had been at sea for seven days
without food and about 22 had died. The youngest on board
was 13 years old.


9. (C) IOM and Deplu interviews of the 193 boat people on
Sabang Island concluded on February 3, Cook confirmed. The
GOI has asked IOM to prepare a presentation with IOM
conclusions as well as transcripts of the interviews. Deplu
will determine its next steps based on the assessment. Deplu
has not said what its next steps will be, but deportation
appears unlikely (reftel).

A SEPARATE CASE IN SULAWESI


10. (SBU) In a separate migration incident, police in
Southeast Sulawesi Province detained approximately 40 Afghan
and Pakistani migrants and four Indonesian smugglers. The
migrants were en route to Australia. In 2008, Indonesian
police interdicted about 200 persons from South Asia being
smuggled to Australia, and many more made it through to
Australia, according to Australian immigration sources in
Jakarta. The GOI cooperates closely with Australian
immigration authorities in this effort and the GOA funds IOM
to assist with care and repatriation of migrants who are
interdicted. The GOI in the past year has ramped up
interdiction of migrants being smuggled or trafficked
transiting Indonesia.


HUME