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Volume 3, No. 11 November 2024

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ABSTRACT

The human rights crisis experienced by the Rohingya in Myanmar has become one of the biggest

humanitarian issues in Southeast Asia. As an ASEAN member country with significant influence in the

region, Indonesia plays an important role in efforts to resolve this crisis. This research aims to analyze the

humanitarian assistance through bilateral and multilateral initiatives. The implications of this research

emphasize the importance of Indonesia's diplomatic role not only at the ASEAN level but also in

international forums. With the increasing number of Rohingya refugees seeking refuge in neighboring

countries, including Indonesia, this research recommends strengthening regional and international

collaboration to create a more sustainable solution in resolving the Rohingya crisis as a whole.

Keywords: Indonesia, ASEAN, Rohingya, Human Rights, Diplomacy.

INTRODUCTION

member countries to encourage Myanmar to resolve this crisis peacefully (Rahmawati &

Zakiyuddin, 2022).

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The Rohingya refugee crisis in Indonesia has drawn international attention. In recent years,

the wave of Rohingya refugees entering Indonesian territory, especially in Aceh Province, has

member states, including Myanmar. The principle of non-intervention upheld by ASEAN is often

a barrier to further action in pressuring Myanmar to stop human rights violations against the

Rohingya. Moreover, the divergent political interests among ASEAN member states make

collective efforts to address this crisis more difficult. Indonesia must work hard to build consensus

and ensure that all member states are committed to a peaceful and humane resolution (Setiawan

& Suryanti, 2021).

The conflict in Myanmar has forced thousands of Rohingya to seek refuge in neighboring

countries, including Indonesia. This poses a national security and resilience challenge, requiring

an in-depth evaluation to identify possible risks. On the other hand, Indonesia also faces pressure

from the international community demanding more decisive action against Myanmar. As a

humanitarian crises in Southeast Asia over the past few decades. The Rohingya, who are

predominantly Muslim, have been subjected to systematic persecution in Myanmar, leading to a

mass exodus to neighboring countries, including Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Amid this

crisis, Indonesia, as a country with significant influence in ASEAN, has a vital role in addressing

this issue (Ambarwati, 2022).

Indonesia, as the country with the world's largest Muslim population and an active member

of ASEAN, has demonstrated a strong commitment to upholding human rights and supporting

peaceful conflict resolution. In addition, Indonesia has extensive experience in addressing

humanitarian issues both at the regional and international levels, making it an important actor in

various regional dynamics. As one of the countries with significant influence in ASEAN,

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principle often becomes an obstacle to more assertive collective action against member states

involved in human rights violations. In addition, domestic political dynamics in Myanmar and the

Indonesia's contribution in the future. By analyzing the existing challenges and opportunities, this

research is expected to benefit new contributions to the understanding of the role of ASEAN

member states in addressing human rights issues in the region. The prediction of this research is

that closer collaboration between Indonesia, ASEAN, and the international community can result

in more effective measures to resolve the crisis in a sustainable manner.

summarize findings from various previous studies related to Indonesia's role in addressing the

human rights crisis involving the Rohingya ethnic group within the ASEAN framework. This

approach involves several systematic procedures to ensure the comprehensiveness and validity

of the data:

Data Collection Procedures

The data collection process includes identifying and gathering relevant scholarly sources,

such as peer-reviewed journal articles, official reports from international organizations (e.g.,

UNHCR, ASEAN Secretariat), government publications, and credible news outlets. Keywords such

as "Indonesia's diplomacy," "Rohingya crisis," "ASEAN human rights," and "non-intervention

principle" were used to conduct a comprehensive search across academic databases and

stage.

Synthesis of Information

The selected sources were carefully analyzed to extract key findings related to Indonesia’s

role in addressing the Rohingya crisis, challenges encountered, and proposed solutions. The data

were then synthesized to identify patterns, trends, and gaps in the literature, which serve as the

foundation for the research's analysis and conclusions.

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Data Validation Stages

To validate the data and ensure the integrity of the findings, the following strategies were

confirm interpretations of the data and enhance the validity of the conclusions.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Indonesia plays a central role in ASEAN, especially in addressing human rights issues. As the

country with the largest population in Southeast Asia and one of the founders of ASEAN,

Indonesia is responsible for maintaining stability, security, and peace in the region. Since the

Indonesia's commitment to human rights is seen in its efforts to support the establishment

of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) in 2009 (Fauzan, 2020).

Although AICHR does not have the power to intervene directly in cases of human rights violations,

Indonesia continues to encourage the strengthening of the commission's role. As a country with

a growing democratic experience, Indonesia is often a spokesperson in encouraging ASEAN to

take human rights issues in the region more seriously. However, the limited authority of AICHR

and the principle of non-intervention remain significant obstacles. However, Indonesia has been

instrumental in creating a space for deeper dialogue on the importance of human rights

protection at the regional level.

One crucial case that shows Indonesia's role in handling human rights issues in ASEAN is

international forums, including the United Nations (UN), for a more comprehensive solution.

These steps demonstrate Indonesia's commitment to addressing the human rights crisis in the

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region, although the results achieved have not been entirely adequate to overcome the problem.

(Pradityo, 2020).

human rights, these divergent views often hinder the achievement of consensus in resolving

human rights issues in the ASEAN region. In addition, internal political dynamics in some member

states also affect ASEAN's response to human rights violations, so Indonesia has to deal with

various political and diplomatic obstacles (Matthew, 2020).

Despite many challenges, Indonesia continues to play a strategic role in strengthening

human rights enforcement efforts in ASEAN. In the future, Indonesia has the potential to

encourage ASEAN further to be more responsive in addressing human rights issues, especially

with the increasing public awareness in ASEAN countries about the importance of protecting

human rights. Through more muscular diplomacy and collaboration with various parties,

including international organizations and human rights institutions, Indonesia can continue to be

in Indonesian waters after a long and dangerous journey across the Indian Ocean. This case adds

to the long list of Rohingya refugees seeking refuge in Indonesia, a country geographically located

on the escape route for those caught in the precarious situation in Myanmar and Bangladesh.

This phenomenon underscores how desperate the problem faced by the Rohingya is that they

are willing to travel dangerously in search of safety (Santri et al., 2019).

Rohingya refugees fleeing to Indonesia are usually on unseaworthy boats, often stranded

at sea for days without adequate food and water. The boats are frequently operated by human

smuggling syndicates who exploit their plight, forcing them to pay enormous fees for a risky

journey. Many suffer starvation, dehydration, and even death at sea before reaching the shores

of countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, or Thailand. The arrival of Rohingya refugees in Aceh

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This is not the first case of Rohingya refugees fleeing to Indonesia. Over the past few years,

Indonesia has become one of the leading destinations for Rohingya refugees fleeing violence in

However, the case of Rohingya refugees fleeing to Indonesia also shows the limitations of

international protection efforts. Rohingya refugees often face precarious situations after arriving

in countries like Indonesia. Although they receive temporary protection, their status as refugees

is not officially recognized by the Indonesian government, as the Refugee Convention does not

legally bind Indonesia (Yani & Zulkarnain, 2019). This creates challenges regarding security,

access to human rights, and their future. Most Rohingya refugees in Indonesia end up stuck in a

relocated to a third country or return to Myanmar safely.

This case also reflects the failure of the international community, including ASEAN, to

resolve the Rohingya crisis as a whole. Indonesia has played an active role in promoting dialogue

With the latest arrival of Rohingya refugees in Indonesia, it is becoming increasingly clear

that the crisis has yet to find an adequate solution. As long as there is no significant change in

Myanmar, either in terms of politics or the treatment of the Rohingya, the flow of refugees

fleeing oppression and violence is likely to continue. This case also demands a more significant

response from the international community, including ASEAN countries, to provide a long-term

solution for the refugees. Indonesia, as a country that is often the final destination for Rohingya

refugees, needs to continue to push for diplomatic and humanitarian efforts to resolve this crisis

while strengthening cooperation with international institutions such as the United Nations in

addressing the impact of this refugee crisis.

Several previous studies have highlighted the role of Indonesian diplomacy in international

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addressing human rights issues in ASEAN. In addition, ASEAN's principle of non-intervention is

usually an obstacle for Indonesia to take more decisive action against member states that violate

ethnicity. Triono also noted that the proactive efforts made by ASEAN, especially by Indonesia,

have not shown significant results in ending the suffering of the Rohingya.

Other research conducted by (Ajawaila et al., 2022) reinforces these findings by

emphasizing Indonesia's role in applying the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) concept to address

the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar. According to them, Indonesia understands the complexity

of the conflict involving the Rohingya ethnicity and continues to encourage the Myanmar

Government to resolve the issue peacefully. The research highlights that despite Indonesia's

efforts to advocate for the implementation of R2P, success in pressuring Myanmar to protect the

Rohingya still needs to be improved due to internal political dynamics in Myanmar as well as the

lack of collective solid support from ASEAN.

Myanmar and the lack of a more assertive intervention to protect human rights in the region.

The findings from the literature review offer significant implications for the development

of theory and practice in international relations, particularly regarding Indonesia's foreign policy

and ASEAN's role in addressing human rights crises. The analysis highlights Indonesia's adherence

to its "free and active" foreign policy principles, which position the country as a mediator and

advocate for peaceful conflict resolution within ASEAN. This theoretical framework reinforces

Indonesia's diplomatic identity as a bridge-builder in regional disputes. However, the practical

challenges posed by ASEAN's non-intervention principle reveal a critical gap between policy

ideals and implementation. These findings suggest that while Indonesia's diplomatic efforts are

commendable, a more flexible and adaptive approach to ASEAN's principles may be required to

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strategies provides a foundation for both policymakers and scholars to refine ASEAN's collective

approach to human rights issues while enhancing Indonesia's role as a proactive regional leader

regional and international efforts, providing a basis for proposing a more structured and

innovative model of "multilateral humanitarian diplomacy." This model could formalize

Indonesia's approach by integrating its domestic experiences with human rights advocacy and its

regional influence in ASEAN to address crises like the Rohingya issue.

Furthermore, Indonesia’s actions, such as supporting UN resolutions condemning violence

against the Rohingya and pressuring the Myanmar government to halt repressive actions (Triono,

could advocate for a regional accountability framework that aligns with ASEAN's principles while

addressing human rights violations more effectively. The proposed model emphasizes a dual

approach: (1) leveraging Indonesia’s diplomatic clout to enhance collective regional responses

CONCLUSION

Indonesia plays a vital role in ASEAN in addressing the human rights crisis against the

Rohingya. Through active diplomacy and multilateral dialog, Indonesia continues to push for a

peaceful solution despite the challenges posed by ASEAN's principle of non-intervention. This

commitment is evident in Indonesia's consistent involvement in humanitarian efforts, such as

providing aid to displaced Rohingya populations and advocating for constructive dialogue within

ASEAN. These actions demonstrate Indonesia's efforts to uphold human rights and its aspiration

addressing this crisis.

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For future researchers, this research underscores the need to explore Indonesia's approach

to balancing ASEAN principles with its human rights agenda. Researchers could also investigate

REFERENCES

Ain, W. N., & Wulandari, S. D. M. (2023). Keketuaan ASEAN dan Potensi Diplomasi Indonesia

dalam Penyelesaian Konflik di Myanmar. Jurnal Sentris, 4(2), 46–61.

Ajawaila, D. P., Matulapelwa, A. H., & Ngongare, S. (2022). Peranan Indonesia Dalam Kasus Etnis

Rohingya Berdasarkan Konsep Responsibility to Protect (R2P). JURNAL SAINS SOSIAL DAN

HUMANIORA (JSSH), 2(1), 131–136.

Ambarwati, A. (2022). Sikap Asean Terhadap Pelanggaran Ham Di Myanmar Pasca Kudeta. Jurnal

on Law, Governance and Islamic Society (ICOLGIS 2019), 277–285.