Refuge for the Rohingya in Southeast Asia?
Refuge for the Rohingya in Southeast Asia?

Author(s): Jera Lego
Subject(s): Geography, Regional studies, Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Migration Studies, Ethnic Minorities Studies
Published by: Transnational Press London
Keywords: ASEAN; Indonesia; Malaysia; refugees; Rohingya; Thailand;
Summary/Abstract: The plight of the Rohingya has increasingly come under the international spotlight since 2015 when hundreds of them were stranded for days on boats in the Andaman Sea and denied entry by neighboring countries. The “crisis” had eventually come to an end when fishermen from the island of Aceh in Indonesia rescued many of them, and nearby Southeast Asian countries - Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-eventually agreed to provide temporary shelter and aid. As a result, some observers argue that significant policy change is forthcoming. This paper (i) evaluates Southeast Asian responses to the plight of the Rohingya, particularly during the “boat people crisis,” (ii) assesses the prospects for refuge and protection of the Rohingya in the region, such as whether policyfocused change has been happening, and (iii) outlines the nature of refuge that the Rohingya are likely to receive in the region. The paper concludes that significant change is unlikely, and that the possibilities for protection and assistance remain limited.

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