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Indonesians rejecting Rohingya refugees showing ‘same hatred’ as Israelis, says Palestinian journalist
- By treating Rohingya refugees as ‘subhuman’ while supporting Palestinians, Indonesians are showing hypocrisy, a Palestinian-American journalist says
- Her blistering condemnation has prompted soul-searching in Indonesia, where Rohingya have arrived by boat over the past months to flee repression
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As backlash grows over the forced relocation of Rohingya refugees in Aceh last week, a Palestinian-American journalist has become a prominent critic of the growing hostility in Indonesia towards the marginalised group from Myanmar.
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“We don’t want your support if you treat refugees with the same hatred Israelis treat Palestinians,” Hebh Jamal said in a post on social media.
Her comments struck a nerve in Muslim-majority Indonesia, where an outpouring of support for Palestinians during the Israel-Gaza war has coincided with a rise in animosity towards Rohingya refugees, who have been arriving in Aceh by boat in increasing numbers since November.
False reports and misinformation campaigns claiming that Rohingya were demanding land in Indonesia appear to have influenced a group of university students to storm a convention centre in Banda Aceh on December 27 to demand the deportation of some 100 Rohingya refugees staying there. Video of the incident shows the refugees, mostly women and children, seated on the floor and crying in fear.
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Indonesian students storm shelter for Rohingya refugees in Aceh to demand their deportation
Indonesian students storm shelter for Rohingya refugees in Aceh to demand their deportation
The clip went viral and was widely criticised, including by many Indonesians. However, it was Jamal’s blistering condemnation of the students’ action that struck a chord and led to widespread soul-searching, particularly in the way she related the rejection of the Rohingya to Indonesia’s strong support for Palestinians.
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