Afghan refugees in Indonesia rally seek resettlement

Refugees from Afghanistan on Tuesday rallied in the Indonesian capital to demand resettlement in a third country.

The protesters, mostly Afghans from the persecuted Hazara ethnic group, gathered outside the building that houses the UN refugee agency UNHCR in central Jakarta.

Protesters held posters during the rally some which read “resettle Afghan refugees from Indonesia. Dear world, hear our voice.

Police later broke up the rally, saying that it violated a ban on gatherings to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Indonesia for years has been a stepping point for refugees from Middle Eastern and Central Asian countries seeking a new life in Australia and elsewhere.

Many of the Afghan refugees have lived in Indonesia for years while waiting for resettlement. Several have committed suicide after years in limbo.

Indonesia is not a party to a 1951 UN convention on the status of refugees or its 1967 protocol. The country prohibits refugees from working and attending formal schools.

The protest came amid concerns in some countries about a possible influx of refugees from Afghanistan after the Taliban took over Kabul amid the ongoing withdrawal of U.S. forces.