Aher: People of Rohingya have the right to live in Myanmar’s Soil
Bandung (Sept-8) – Elected Governor of West Java, Ahmad Heryawan (Aher) along with hundreds of the citizens show their support to the people of Rohingya in Rakhine State, Myanmar by doing a long-march. This event was held right after the Friday prayers, which started from West Java Pusdai Mosque up to the Governor’s Office (Gedung Sate).
According to Aher, this tragedy of humanity that happened to the people of Rohingya does not align with the Indonesia’s Constitution as prescribed in the opening of Indonesia’s Law (UUD) 1945, which states that every nation has the right to be independence, thus colonization that happened all over the world must be eliminated, because it contradicts the humanity and justice.
Therefore, Aher calls all the citizens of West Java to give their support and care in any form to the people of Rohingya. Moreover, West Java has always been promoting the fight for humanity, just as in the Conference of Asia-Africa countries in 1955.
“It is reasonable if West Java, among other provinces in Indonesia, to act fast in giving support for the people of Rohingya. We gathered here to expressed our consciences to the world via media, the internet. The important part is that our message gets across to the Government of Myanmar, its military forces, and also to the UN. Along with the voice of the people of West Java, which is part of Indonesia, demanded peace for the people of Rohingya, stop the brutality to them, and also give them the right to live,” stated Aher at the long-march.
Aher further states, the people of Rohingya have the right to live equally as other ethnics in Myanmar. God created this earth for anyone to live, including Myanmar’s soil for the people of Rohingya. West Java committed to welcome the people of Rohingya and accommodate the refugees.
“Just as the people of Indonesia have the right to live in any part of Indonesia, the people of Myanmar also deserve the same kind of right to live in Myanmar. Let us pray our prayers to the sky, surely the ruler earth is also the ruler of the sky, which is Allah SWT, Who Also controls the hearts and bodies of the humans. Hopefully, Allah subjugates the hearts of the people Myanmar, especially the Government and the Military to immediately stop the violence to the people of Rohingya,” stated Aher.
The donation collected through this long-march event from the citizen of West Java for the people of Rohingya through the Rohingya Solidarity Account of BJB approximately around 1,2 billion rupiahs. These funds came from varies element of people in West Java. Also, for the people who want to donate can still transfer to the account on behalf of Jabar Peduli in BJB at the account number of 2345-6789-1000-1.
“The distribution of the donation will be done through organizations that work together with the government, alliance organisations, donor agencies that include Dompet Dhuafa, PKPU, Daarut Tauhid, Lazis NU, Lazis Muhammadiyah, Lazis PUI, and etc,” said Aher after the event.
Various interfaith leaders, who are the members of the Religious Harmony Forum (FKUB) of West Java, attended the long-march event. FKUB also provided statements on their behalf regarding the tragedy that happened in Rakhine State, which was delivered by the Chairman of FKUB, Rafadi Ahyar. The statements are as follows:
- Condemning any violence against the people of Rohingya in Rakhine State, Myanmar. Also declaring it as an inhuman act that transcends the boundaries of humanity which cannot be justified by any religions.
- Support the actions of the Government of Indonesia (GOI), which have quickly taken real measures by sending the Minister of Foreign Affairs to meet with the Government of Myanmar, and to negotiate with other ASEAN countries for diplomatic solutions to solve the conflict, also by sending aids such medicines, food, and other needed.
- Requesting of the GOI to accommodate the Rohingya refugees, especially on an island or feasible lands in Indonesia.
- Demand the UN to actively participate in solving the tragedy by conducting investigations into the violation of Human Rights by the Government of Myanmar.
- Appealed to all religious people in Indonesia, especially in West Java to participate in helping through donations such as money or other goods needed by the people of Rohingya.
- To invite all people in Indonesia, especially in West Java to maintain social stability to create harmony which is essential in to live as a society and as a nation in Indonesia.