ROHINGYAS IN ACEH TO BE COMBINED INTO ONE CAMP

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 000917 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, PRM, DRL; NSC FOR EPHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/29/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL ID BM CE SUBJECT: ROHINGYAS IN ACEH TO BE COMBINED INTO ONE CAMP REF: JAKARTA 884 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: DepPol/C Stanley Harsha, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (U) This message was coordinated with Consulate Medan. ¶2. (C) The GOI is planning to combine Rohingya asylum seekers located in two camps in Aceh Province into one camp under UNHCR protection, a senior Indonesian diplomat told us. The Bangladeshis in the same camps will be moved to an immigration detention center for eventual repatriation. Regarding the Sri Lankan migrants at a third camp in Aceh, the GOI plans to give the Sri Lankan Embassy consular access first, and then UNHCR. ¶3. (C) The GOI is planning to close the overcrowded Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrant camp in Idirayeuk, Aceh, Desra Percaya, Director for International Security at the Foreign Affairs Department (Deplu),told DepPol/C on May 29. The Rohingyas would be moved to another camp on Sabang Island, Aceh, and combined with the rest of the Rohingyas now living in that camp. The two groups were rescued off Indonesian shores in January and February. The Sabang camp, located at a Navy facility, is safer and more comfortable than the Idirayeuk camp which has had difficulties because of its cramped conditions. About 220 Rohingyas have requested and been given UNHCR protection; some other Rohingyas have asked to be returned to Burma or Bangladesh and these requests will be handled separately (reftel). ¶4. (C) The 119 Bangladeshis at the two camps will be sent to the Tanjung Pinang immigration holding camp in Riau Province pending voluntary repatriation, Percaya said. This will happen as soon the facility is ready, in about two weeks. ROHINGYAS TO BE KEPT IN DETENTION FACILITY ¶5. (C) UNHCR and International Organization for Migration (IOM) both requested that the Rohingyas be moved to a community setting in North Sumatra Province. Percaya said a May 20 ministerial-level meeting rejected this, worried that the Rohingyas might remain in the community for years, similar to other asylum seekers in Indonesia, and that their presence in a community could cause tensions. ¶6. (C) Meanwhile, a 50-year-old man at the Idirayeuk camp has been detained by local police for an alleged sexual assault of a 17-year-old boy, IOM Jakarta's Steve Campbell confirmed to DepPol/C. We have no more details at this time. Campbell said IOM had previously urged Deplu to remove minors from the camp, and that IOM is prepared to take care of them in separate facilities. In his meeting with Percaya, DepPol/C urged Deplu to take IOM up on its offer immediately. He said Deplu would seriously consider this. ¶7. (C) We also urged Percaya to allow the Rohingya interpreters to extend their visas in country. As of May 28, the last Rohingya interpreter provided by IOM had to go home to renew his visa, leaving no interpreters at the camps until the visas can be renewed. Two will return as soon as their visas are issued. ¶8. (C) The Rohingyas were all granted political asylum protection, UNHCR's Senior Regional Protection Officer Francis Teoh told DepPol/C, but Deplu has not yet informed the Rohingyas of this fact, making the Rohingyas anxious about their future. DepPol/C urged Percaya to ensure that the Rohingyas are informed soon to calm then down. CONSULAR ACCESS FOR SRI LANKANS ¶9. (C) The Sri Lankan Embassy will be given first access to the 55 Sri Lankans who arrived on Aceh shores by boat on May 14, with UNHCR being given access only after the Sri Lankan Embassy, Percaya said. Teoh told DepPol/C that UNHCR has written Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda that this is unacceptable as UNHCR must screen the migrants first for their protection, according to international law. UNHCR will screen the Sri Lankans both for political asylum status and to determine if any are excluded from this status because they are armed combatants, a process which could take several months, Teoh said. NORTH