In a comment piece published in The Jakarta Post yesterday, the Penang deputy chief minister said the Indonesian Government ought to take a rational approach.
Ramasamy said the ethnic Tamil Sri Lankan refugees marooned in the shores of Aceh a few weeks ago were victims of civil war and human rights atrocities back in their country.
“Tamil refugees are not economic migrants, but like millions of other Tamils, they have been displaced or their well-being has been threatened by civil war and human rights atrocities committed by the regime in their country of origin.
“Aceh and the central government should provide full access to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) or other international bodies to resolve the issue of the Tamil refugees,” he was quoted as saying in Indonesia’s leading English daily.
The government of Aceh allowed 44 displaced Tamil Sri Lankan refugees to seek shelter by a beach on June 11. Their boat suffered from engine trouble in Indonesian waters.
The refugees were headed to the Christmas Islands, Australia, to seek asylum and employment.
They had earlier attempted to obtain citizenship in Tamil Nadu, but failed. Hence, their voyage to the Aussie islands south of Java.
Meanwhile, Ramasamy applauded Aceh Governor Zaini Abdullah who had visited and personally fed some 40 Tamil refugees at the temporary camps set up by the shores of the northern Sumatran province.
Ramasamy said, the fate of the refugees, in the end lay with the Indonesian central government, which is speculated to be not so keen on keeping the refugees on its shores.
He said a conversation with Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla revealed that an indefinite stay could not be granted to the refugees.
“According to Kalla, the Government is unable to grant them an indefinite stay because their status as refugees has not been verified. The boat that took them to the shores of Aceh carried the Indian flag.
“Kalla apparently contacted the UNHCR to assist the asylum seekers, though there is speculation that Indonesia is not keen to allow the UNHCR in.
“While he understands their plight, he is equally firm in not setting any precedent in terms of treatment,” Ramasamy said.
Ramasamy felt the authorities were cautious over allowing asylum seekers into Indonesia, as they had to contend with hordes of them from the troubled Rakhine state in Myanmar.
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