Islamists turn the Rohingya case against President Widodo and Indonesian Buddhists
Buddhists of Chinese origin have been accused of complicity with their coreligionists in Myanmar. Protests break out across the country. The Widodo administration is accused of violating the rights of Rohingya Muslims. The president sends foreign minister to Myanmar and Bangladesh on a humanitarian mission. For the Indonesian ambassador to Myanmar, there is “no genocide".
Jakarta (AsiaNews) - For most Indonesian extremist Muslims, with no perspectives and broad knowledge, the Rohingya issue in Myanmar is becoming a cause célèbre.
Extremists want to cause tensions between Indonesia’s religious communities, especially between radical Muslims and Buddhists of Chinese origin, in order to exploit this "hot" topic to make political gains and turn it into a sectarian issue.
They claim that Burmese Buddhists are setting up 'extermination camps' for Rohingya Muslims. Using such fake information about what is in happening in Myanmar’s Rahkine State, they are generating hatred against Indonesian Buddhists and organising mass rallies across the country.
Radical groups held rallies in Borobudur, Magelang Regency (Central Java), at the largest Buddhist temple in the world recognised by UNESCO, and in front of the Embassy of Myanmar, in central Jakarta.
On Saturday, dozens of demonstrators gathered at the Myanmar embassy in Jakarta to demand that Aung San Suu Kyi be stripped of her 1991 Nobel Prize for Peace. Protesters also accuse the Widodo administration of being directly involved in human rights violations against Muslims Rohingya.
The protests continued yesterday in central Jakarta near the embassy. A Molotov cocktail was thrown at the front of the building. No casualties were reported and the authorities have condemned the incident.
Responding to the growing tensions in the country, Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo spoke last night about the country’s response to the crisis in Myanmar (picture 1).
In the presence of ministers Wiranto and Pratikno, the president said: "First of all, we regret to hear about the violence in Rakhine State, Myanmar. What we need now is not to find culprits, but real actions to help end the crisis. The Indonesian Government is committed to minimising the humanitarian crisis and coordinating with Indonesian civil society (groups) and the international community to address this issue. "
"I have sent Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi to visit Myanmar and Bangladesh (picture 2), and meet local leaders, to discuss the issues and find the best solutions. We have also had long talks with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Kofi Annan, UN Special Representative for Rakhine."
In the meetings with Myanmar authorities, the president explained, the Indonesian minister will ask them to allow greater access for humanitarian aid to displaced Rohingya. "Indonesia has been sending medical and food supplies since January 2017," the president noted.
"We have also managed to set up a school and hospital in Rakhine, which will be operational by next October," he added. Jakarta has also helped displaced persons in special refugee camps, he explained, finally stating that this humanitarian crisis must be stopped and resolved quickly.
Some Indonesian politicians have strongly criticised mass protest in Borobudur to show anger against Indonesia’s Buddhists. For them what happened in Myanmar is not a religious issue, but a political one. The Indonesian police did not authorise the rallies.
Earlier, Indonesia’s ambassador to Myanmar, former police general Ito Sumardi, rejected any accusation by the international community and Indonesians that a "genocide" was planned in Rakhine State. in his view, on events in Rakhine, there is a lot of fake information, spread by world media.
"Their basic information is not true and they do not rely on actual facts on the ground," said the former chief of police, in response to what wrote Republika, a Jakarta-based Islamist newspaper. "Such fake information is shaping public opinion, so much so that some people have reacted in an emotional way."
The Indonesian people, Sumardi said, must recognise Myanmar’s difficult position, as it tries to become a new modern and democratic nation after decades of authoritarian rule.
Violence broke out in Rakhine after local extremists launched a series of attacks on 30 police and army posts as well as civilians, which resulted in the deaths of 12 people.
Myanmar authorities have deployed police who have clashed with the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA). This has created a large number of refugees, among both Rakhine Rohingya and other local communities.
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14/02/2024 17:53
