Jakarta (ANTARA) - The European Union (EU) has welcomed Indonesia's decision to provide a safe-landing and humanitarian assistance to 99 Rohingya refugees stranded off the northern coast of Aceh last week.
"The rescue of Rohingya refugees who face dire conditions is a tribute to international law and proves the generosity of the people and government of Indonesia," EU's Foreign Affairs and Security Policy spokesperson, Nabila Massrali, said in a statement on Thursday.
In cooperation with Indonesian authorities, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and other humanitarian organizations, the EU will mobilize humanitarian support to address the most urgent basic needs of affected refugees, she said.
"While we respect the humanitarian actions of the Indonesian government, the plight of the Rohingyas cannot be resolved with humanitarian actions from benevolent countries. The root cause of suffering of the Rohingya refugees is in the State of Rakhine, Myanmar, (from) where they were originally evicted by force," Massrali stressed.
The EU has said it hopes for the government of Myanmar to create conditions that would allow the people of Rohingya ethnicity to return safely, sustainably, with dignity, and in a voluntary manner to their place of origin, including through credible implementation of the recommendations of the Rakhine State Advisory Commission, which has been ratified, and in accordance with the temporary measures ordered by the International Court of Justice.
The EU has also urged countries in the region, including ASEAN member states, to engage more with the Myanmar government to ensure that the country increases efforts towards finding equitable and sustainable solutions to the issue, in line with the principles of international law and human rights.
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