VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHJA #0458 0750857
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (CCY AD409F65 MSI6397-695)
P 160857Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1837
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS COLL
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 1605
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3040
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5924
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 3617

UNCLAS JAKARTA 000458 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MTS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF ID
SUBJECT: Ambassador Hume Visits Rohingya Refugees in Aceh 
 
¶1. (SBU) On March 7, Ambassador Hume visited the 193 Rohingya boat 
people on Wei island off Aceh's northern tip.  The Rohingya refugees 
are housed on the Sabang Naval base, a large compound with good 
access control and adequate space.  Although the camp is technically 
off limits to unauthorized personnel, the TNI commander in charge of 
the facility permitted the ambassador to enter and tour the site. 
Sabang Mayor Munawar Liza Zainal facilitated the visit. 
 
¶2. (U) The Rohingya camp is clean and appears well managed. Cooking, 
sleeping, and sanitation facilities are adequate and there is ample 
room for recreation. When the Ambassador arrived most of the 
Rohingya were busy playing stickball, volleyball, or pingpong. They 
appeared to be healthy and in good spirits. No one at the camp knew 
that the Ambassador was coming, so no special arrangements were made 
for his visit. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The base commander told the Ambassador that he had been 
ordered to provide accommodation and facilities for the Rohingya 
into the indefinite future. The burden, however, was less than he 
expected because of strong support from the local government and the 
fact that the Rohingyas themselves were undemanding and stayed out 
of trouble. When asked what additional assistance was required, the 
only item he could think of was a few 50 gallon drums for water 
storage. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The head of the Sabang branch of Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) 
who has worked with the refugees since the day they arrived, agreed 
that the camp was well run and did not lack for supplies.  According 
to her, this was in stark contrast to the first few weeks the camp 
was open.  At that time, she said, everyone expected that the 
Rohingyas would be gone in a week or two, so there was little 
planning and everything was done on a day-to-day basis.  Once it 
became clear that the Rohingya would not be moved in the near 
future, she said, coordination improved and various organizations 
worked together to reorganize the camp. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Under the current arrangement, the Sabang local government 
provides all food and other necessities for the Rohingya from its 
own budget. The Ministry for Social Affairs and the Coordinating 
Ministry for People's Welfare have promised to reimburse the local 
government's expenses and send shipments of supplies but have yet to 
do so. Despite this, the Mayor said, his government would continue 
to feed and care for the Rohingya because, as a former refugee 
himself, he understood what they are going through. Hume