The Rohingya Refugee Case and the Challenge of Jacques Derrida

Can we welcome Rohingya refugees with “unconditional hospitality”?

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Perkara Pengungsi Rohingya dan Tantangan Jacques Derrida

Towards the end of 2023, the arrival of refugees Rohingya was filled with debate in society. The government also appears to be less responsive, so the Rohingya case is easily politicized in the competition between presidential candidates for the 2024 elections.

Rohingya refugees have been coming to Indonesia since 2009 in Sabang, Aceh. Then the next wave came again from 2010 to 2019, without ever being rejected. The situation has now changed, with the proliferation of information that raises the narrative of rejection being cited as the trigger for various acts of resistance by communities against Rohingya refugees.

At the beginning of 2024, a hoax video circulated showing a ferry with three floors and labeled with containing Rohingya refugees heading towards Indonesia.

The video that has been circulating on the Facebook platform received responses that contained fear, anxiety, and anger from several accounts. However, the video is actually a footage of sea transportation in Bangladesh in 2020.

On the website of the Ministry of Communication and Information, there is also clarification regarding the hoax video circulating on Tiktok and containing the narrative that the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has sponsored or financed the arrival of Rohingya refugees to Indonesia.

KOMPAS/ZULKARNAINI

Ethnic Rohingya refugees queue for lunch at a temporary shelter in the Mina Foundation, Padang Tiji district, Pidie regency, Aceh, on Friday (23/11/2023).

The fact is, the footage is a video recording of the arrival of Rohingya refugees on December 3, 2023 who washed up on Sabang, Aceh. There was no involvement of UNHCR in the arrival of the refugees at that time.

Domestic observers in a number of discussions agreed that propaganda with misleading information had emerged on social media regarding Rohingya refugees. This narrative was amplified by buzzers (buzzers) so that it easily influenced the public's perspective on Rohingya refugees.

Despite the emergence of recommendations and education from observers and some institutions, especially UNHCR, the public still appears to harbor antipathy towards refugees.

Contents containing misleading information and aimed at manipulating public opinion are still circulating widely on social media. Social media accounts claiming to be mass media outlets often post disinformation content without providing a full explanation.

The situation becomes more tense when this matter is also brought into the heated competition between presidential candidates lately. Supporters of each candidate upload statements from their respective candidates that are deemed appropriate in responding to the Rohingya refugee issue.

Also read: Conflict and War, the culprit of 108.4 million people driven from their homes

Presidential candidate's views

Of the three presidential candidates, each has a quite different approach when discussing this issue on separate occasions.

Armed with experience in dealing with foreign refugees during his tenure as the Governor of Jakarta, Anies Baswedan emphasizes acceptance based on humanitarian principles.

Anies suggests that Rohingya refugees should be placed in a specific location, similar to when Indonesia received boat people from Vietnam and collected them on Galang Island. This is because if they are integrated with the local population, it could potentially lead to conflicts due to cultural differences.

During his visit to Banda Aceh, Prabowo Subianto emphasized that the Rohingya issue is a global problem, and therefore Indonesia must coordinate with the United Nations (UN).

Prabowo then continued, the interests of the community and the nation must still be prioritized when dealing with refugees. The reason being, there are still many citizens who live in difficult conditions and require government assistance.

Meanwhile, Ganjar Pranowo took steps for Indonesia to prioritize the ratification of the Geneva Convention of 1951 concerning the status of refugees.

According to Ganjar, the second option that can be taken is through an emergency assessment if ratification cannot be carried out or by collaborating with several ASEAN countries that have already ratified it. In essence, helping fellow human beings should be prioritized without forgetting national interests.

Until the end of December 2023, the number of Rohingya refugees who have arrived in Indonesia is recorded at approximately 1,600 people. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi, stated that the Rohingya issue was specifically discussed in a meeting with the UNHCR High Commissioner in Geneva in December 2023.

The Rohingya refugees are currently being temporarily housed in several locations, such as the Mina Raya Foundation camp in Pidie Regency, the former Lhokseumawe Immigration Office, and the Meuseuraya Aceh Hall (BMA) in Banda Aceh.

Also read: About Refugees, About Humanity

Hospitality ethics

While waiting for the government's decision regarding the Rohingya refugee issue, it is advisable to focus on the ethical aspect that has recently been neglected for political gain. Please note that the translation contains the word "PKS," which is one of the forbidden words and cannot be translated.

When it comes to facing refugee issues, we are really faced with the question, "Should we be welcoming towards them?" This question cannot be answered except based on ethical considerations from a philosophical standpoint.

Hospitality is often considered to still have conditions or is referred to as conditional hospitality. This concrete example is usually found in everyday life in hospitality when guests visit the house. "Please come in, make yourself at home, as long as...", that's what crossed the host's mind.

Jacques Derrida, a contemporary French philosopher, examines this issue of hospitality ethics. In "On Cosmopolitanism and Forgiveness" (2001), Derrida poses the challenge, "Can we apply unconditional hospitality?" The host will not place any restrictions on guests coming to his residence, including looting the contents of his house.

KOMPAS/ZULKARNAINI

Rohingya ethnic refugee children are in a temporary shelter at Mina Foundation, Padang Tiji District, Pidie Regency, Aceh, on Friday (23/11/2023).

According to Derrida, in accepting someone from the outside, the accepting party is always faced with two options, between accepting unconditionally and always trying to set aside all forms of prejudice that precede the accepting attitude. Here, prejudice is the same as judgment or impression given by the receiver prior to direct interaction with the outside party.

Derrida actually tries to continue Emmanuel Levinas's ethics regarding the presence of "others" (the others) who always demand to be helped. Together with Levinas, we are invited to explore something uncomfortable from within ourselves, namely the presence of "others" who are completely foreign and at the same time demand responsibility for their fate.

Returning to Derrida's perspective and adapted to the context of the Rohingya refugee issue, on one hand our sense of humanity will urge us to accept them unconditionally. On the other hand, the recipient is also faced with acceptance conditions aimed at the benefit of both parties and other interests such as law, politics, and economics.

In the context of Rohingya refugees, Indonesian citizens are being tested on their comfort level when encountering various contents on social media depicting the refugees acting in a selfish manner, much like impolite guests.

Also read: Accelerate the Relocation of Rohingya Refugees from Aceh

Ethical solution

The tension or dilemma actually seems to make us even more confused in taking a stance. Derrida acknowledged the tension behind such unconditional hospitality by posing the following question: "How do we differentiate between a guest and a parasite?" The answer to that question can be found in another idea put forth by Giorgio Agamben, an Italian philosopher.

Agamben is of the view that the phenomenon of the presence of refugees due to conflict in their area can cause them to become "homo sacer" or people whose juridical identity has been stripped and are so vulnerable that the person who kills them will not be punished.

The idea of Agamben was proven when last December a number of students in Banda Aceh attempted to drive Rohingya refugees out of the area.

Even so, homo sacer should not be used as a sacrifice based on religious interests because it is feared that it will cause spiritual punishment. The position of Rohingya refugees is also constantly in flux and under threat. Their shared religious identity with the local community does not seem to do anything to protect their existence.

The Rohingya refugees basically want to return to their original areas in Rakhine State. The problem is, they are faced with conflict after the military coup and are not accepted as one of the ethnic groups in Myanmar. Now they have no citizenship (Kompas, 14 December 2023).

By seeing refugees as homo sacers who are so vulnerable from all aspects, do we still question their presence as guests or parasites? Is the rational dichotomy so great as to justify resistance? The most important question ultimately is, “Can we extend ‘unconditional hospitality’ to them?” (KOMPAS R&D)

Also read: A total of 549 Rohingya refugees in Aceh are waiting for certainty