ROHINGYAS -- INDONESIA WORKING WITH UNHCR, PUSHING

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 000252 DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, PRM FOR HTRAN, DRL NSC FOR EPHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV PREF ID BM SUBJECT: ROHINGYAS -- INDONESIA WORKING WITH UNHCR, PUSHING FOR REGIONAL SOLUTION REF: JAKARTA 194 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: DCM John A. Heffern, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (U) This message was coordinated with Consulate Medan. ¶2. (C) SUMMARY: The GOI will soon grant access to UNHCR to the nearly 400 Rohingya boat people rescued by Indonesian authorities off the coast of Aceh in January-February. UNHCR and IOM personnel met with the GOI to present a plan for the care of the Rohingyas. IOM will present a budget request to PRM soon focused on long-term care. The GOI has also announced that it will work regionally within the Bali Process to deal with the Rohingya problem. The issue might also be on the agenda of the upcoming ASEAN Summit. END SUMMARY. GRANTING UNHCR ACCESS ¶3. (C) The GOI will grant access to UNHCR soon, a Department of Foreign Affairs (Deplu) official handling the Rohingya siutation told DepPol/C on February 12. Kusuma Pradopo, Deputy Director for Asia at Deplu, added that UNHCR and IOM presented a solid proposal for the long-term care of the two groups stranded on Sabang Island and East Aceh Province. The GOI would welcome any assistance that the USG can offer, Pradopo said. ¶4. (C) Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda stated on February 5 that the GOI "will screen those claiming (to have) political reasons to seek asylum and this will take time." Pradopo clarified that UNHCR will be involved in the screening. IOM ASSESSMENT ¶5. (C) IOM presented to Deplu on February 9 its assessment of the boat people being cared for by the GOI in Sabang, following its interviews with the 193 at that location. The assessment--which IOM shared with DepPol/C--concluded that the population consisted of: --136 Burmese (110 Rohingya) and 56 Bangladeshi, of which 27 were aged 12-17, the rest 18-50. --91 who expressed fear of persecution if repatriated, 55 who had no fear (all Bangladeshi),and 46 who did not respond either way. --167 were not willing to return home, with 25 willing (one had no opinion). ¶6. (C) The assessment strongly indicated that the Rohingya's voyage was a highly organized smuggling operation. They arrived in Thailand from Bangladesh and Burma on different boats of about 100 passengers each. They were captured by Thai authorities and taken somewhere inland. They were mixed together and physically abused for several days before being towed out to sea on boats. The Thai Navy removed the engines from the boats and set them adrift, the boat people told IOM. TAKING IT TO A REGIONAL LEVEL: THE BALI PROCESS, ASEAN ¶7. (U) Wirajuda also said on February 11 that the GOI had talked with the Thai government about using the Bali Process to arrive at a broader solution to the migration of Rohingyas from Burma. ¶8. (C) The Bali Process is co-chaired by the governments of Indonesia and Australia, and is meant to address migration, and combating trafficking in persons and people smuggling in the Asia-Pacific region. Indonesia is urging the next meeting to be advanced from June to March in order to address the Rohingya issue, a senior Australian diplomat told the DCM on February 12. Meanwhile, the Rohingya issue might be on the agenda of the late February ASEAN Summit hosted by Thailand, the Singapore DCM told us. Indonesia and the Philippines are pushing hard on this issue while Thailand and Burma are on the defensive, with Singapore straddling the middle, the Singaporean DCM told us. REQUESTING USG ASSISTANCE ¶9. (U) Having rescued and cared for the boat people at great strain to its resources, the GOI is now working with the UNHCR to provide long-term humanitarian care and screening and pushing for a regional humanitarian solution. GOI will need substantial assistance to deal with the boat people. IOM and UNHCR will need to quickly find funding to meet the commitment they have made to assist, and will present a detailed budget to PRM within a few days. HUME