Care for refugees

Care for refugees

From Media Indonesia

Twelve Sampit refugees, all of Madurese origin, died at a refugee camp in Madura last week. Meanwhile, thousands of other refugees, facing biting cold, are still hiding in the forests or being tossed around at sea trying to reach safety. They are not only from Sampit, but from other places across the country: Aceh, Sambas, Poso-Palu, Manado, Atambua, Ternate, Tidore, Bau-bau, Bacan, Seram, Ambon and Papua.

Refugees are dying every day, increasing the number of orphans and widows/widowers. Thousands of school-age children have been forced to stop their studies. Thousands of other children are malnourished because of limited food supplies. The lost generation is very close to becoming a reality.

Who cares about the 12 refugees dying in Madura? Who cares about the weeping orphans in a warehouse-turned-refugee camp in Ternate? Who will cry over fellow countrymen killing each other in the name of revenge and a gloomy past?

Gone now is the right for security and the freedom from fear and poverty. Gone now is the freedom to move to any other part of the country and the right to live as part of the community. All these are human rights that must be adhered to and put into practice.

Fellow Indonesians, whoever and wherever you are, particularly if you are part of the ruling group and the servants of the country, please stop violence in every corner of the country. Lend a helping hand to the refugees. Help their education and raise their health level. Get them to end their feuding and bring the guilty to court. Let us all bring back peace among us.

It is all right to differ in opinion. It is okay to differ politically. But, please, do not practice injustice simply because we harbor a grudge against one particular social group. Do not let our fury over a particular community group make us forget the presence of domestic refugees. These refugees barely know and are too busy to know something about the political elite struggle.

HERU SUSETYO

Center for Indonesian

Legal and Human Rights

Advocacy

Jakarta