Archives (16th August 2017): A trip to Jakarta

01/12/18 01:51

It is always good to set off and travel. This time, I travelled to Indonesia - to the country’s capital Jakarta. I occasionally visit the country, so it is not entirely a new experience to visit the place. I like Indonesia a lot though, so I was very happy to return to the city.

The main reason of the visit was to learn about urban refugees in Indonesia. Like in many countries of the region, Indonesia is home to many people who needed to flee their own countries to seek safety from wars or various persecutions in their homelands. UNHCR estimates that there are around 15,000 refugees or asylum seekers in Indonesia. Considering the size of the country and its large population, the number is actually quite small - but then again these 15,000 people have substantial humanitarian needs and are desperate for protection and some attention of the worlds. Most refugees are from Afghanistan (Hazara people). There are also many who came here from Myanmar (Rohingya) and Somalia. Generally all of the refugees would prefer to get resettled to Australia, Canada, US or one of the EU countries, but these hopes are not likely to materialise, given the pressures for resettlement of refugees from the Middle East countries. So people are here to stay, but Indonesia is not prepared to host them. The country does not have a sufficient legal framework, infrastructure, nor funds to be able to look after their refugees appropriately. Then encouragingly, the government is willing to change all of this, as it realises that it is responsible for its guests, and more importantly the population is generally quite open to the idea of hosting and helping those who have come there to seek safety (how refreshing in the world of today).

So I went there and talked to colleagues from various UN agencies, the EU and the Government of Indonesia to decide how we could join forces to make a tangible difference for the refugees in the country. Lots and lots need to be done, but the willingness is there, so there is some hope. We just need to act fast, as people cannot wait. They need help urgently.

Here in Bangkok, things are good. Tahir keeps on studying for his Canadian high school diploma. It is just a beginning, so lots of energy and work in front of him, but this is really exciting to know that he has started. Yesterday, we worked on his English homework. Tahir tried understanding the meaning of ‘synonym’ and looked for synonymies for various English words. It certainly was fun!

I am preparing for a trip to Mongolia. I should be departing soon. Now getting ready with my paper work, and next week, I will be trying to fix my detailed schedule! So happy to be going there soon.

Finally, I feel a bit more Portuguese! I managed to settle my first ever income tax in the country. Now, I feel that I started contributing to the society of the country that I am calling home!

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Archives (16th August 2017): A trip to Jakarta