REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Indonesian Marine and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti has called on the Rohingya migrants stranded in several provinces in Indonesia to avoid indulging in illegal fishing activities.

"There are several Rohingya people stranded in Aceh. My indication is that the tragedy can be related to Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated or IUU Fishing," Susi stated here on Monday.

According to Susi, the ministry believes that the issue stems from slavery in the fishing industry, as reported in the case of Benjina Company in Aru Islands, which potentially occurs in other provinces in Indonesia.

The minister pointed out that the Benjina slavery case is only a small case of illegal fishing mafia in Indonesia that has come to light.

"What has happened in Indonesia is the tip of the iceberg," Susi said. The policy of illegal fishing eradication has had a positive impact on the fuel supply for Indonesian fishermen. Earlier, the foreign vessels conducting illegal fishing used the fuel assigned for local fishermen, thereby decreasing the supply of diesel oil.

An academic on international law of Indonesia University Professor Hikmahanto Juwana stated that the United Nation Refugee Agency (UNHCR) should not merely condemn the countries that reject the Rohingya refugees but should also take concrete steps to tackle the problem.

"The meeting of the foreign ministers from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand must be used to apply pressure on the UNHCR to shoulder the responsibility and handle the Rohingya refugee problem," Hikmahanto emphasized.

He lauded the Indonesian people who provided temporary shelters to the Rohingya refugees in Aceh province.

Hikmahanto expressed hope that the meeting of the three foreign ministers would also result in deciding the roles of the concerned parties in handling the refugees.

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