inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. Chairman of the Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Agency (BKSAP) of the Indonesian House of Representatives Mardani Ali Sera emphasized the importance of BKSAP encouraging active diplomacy through international and regional forums to resolve the Myanmar crisis which is the root of the problem of the influx of Rohingya refugees.

Including through the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) to rally support from other ASEAN member countries.

"No matter how small the step, we must start," said Mardani in a statement quoted by Antaranews on Tuesday (5/6/2025).

This was conveyed by Mardani when BKSAP held a focus group discussion (FGD) on handling Rohingya refugees, Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Monday (5/5/2025).

On the other hand, Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Wirya Adiwena stressed the importance of ASEAN having a coordinated refugee protection mechanism and utilizing international instruments, such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to improve search and rescue efforts.

"ASEAN is peaceful, but when a humanitarian crisis occurs, we do not have the instruments ready," he said.

Meanwhile, Senior Protection Officer of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Emily Bojovic emphasized the importance of clear standard operating procedures (SOPs) for local governments in handling refugees, especially in Aceh which is the main entry point.

The FGD was a follow-up meeting to resolve the increasingly concerning Rohingya refugee problem that requires joint handling by the international community

The FGD highlighted a number of things in responding to the Rohingya humanitarian crisis, starting from the limitations of the ASEAN framework, to the need for comprehensive protection for refugees on land and those still stranded at sea.

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