Indonesia: Ongoing protests to denounce Rohingya persecution in Jakarta September 4

Event

Several hundred Muslim women staged a protest in front of the Myanmar embassy on Monday, September 4, marking the third day of demonstrations in Jakarta to denounce the ongoing persecution of the Rohingya people in Rakhine State. Dozens of armed police have been deployed in order to protect the Burmese embassy, currently cordoned off by barbed wire. Over the weekend, a fire bomb was thrown at the building.

Further protests are expected throughout the week in the capital. According to local media, a demonstration is set to take place at Borobudur, an iconic Buddhist temple located in central Java. Meanwhile, similar protests have been held worldwide over the weekend including in Australia, Malaysia, and Russia.

Context

Myanmar security forces have been carrying out brutal retaliatory attacks on the Rohingya community after the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), a Rohingya insurgent group, launched a series of coordinated attacks on various police posts on August 24.

The current clashes and ensuing government crackdown are the result of months of simmering violence and ethnic tensions between the Myanmar Buddhist majority and Rohingya Muslim minority. The ongoing persecution of the latter has drawn widespread international criticism and continues to be condemned by human rights groups amid accusations of ethnic cleansing.

Advice

Individuals in Jakarta, and in Indonesia more generally, are advised to avoid all protests as a precaution.