Introductory Remarks of President Joko Widodo on the Occassion of the Dispatch of Humanitarian Aids for Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh, at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base, on Wednesday, 13 September 2017
Unofficial English Translation
Bismllahirrahmanirrahim,
Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
Alhamdulillah, today, on 13 September 2017, we can dispatch the first humanitarian aids to the refugees from Rakhine State on the border of Bangladesh Myanmar.
So I need to say that this is the first dispatch of the humanitarian aids. Later, insya Allah, next week we will dispatch the second one, the third one, and so on. This humanitarian aids can be organised after I assigned the Foreign Minister with a task of discussing the humanitarian aids needed with the Bangladesh Government and Myanmar Government.
In this morning, there will be four Hercules planes that will carry rice, instant food, family kits, water tanks, tents for refugees, childrens clothes and also blankets. Because those stuffs are mostly needed.
Why we use planes? From the past experience, it took a long time to send humanitarian aids by using containers. Whereas, they are really needed and expected to be used immediately by the refugees on the border of Bangladesh and Myanmar. Therefore, I would like to express my gratitude to the Bangladesh Government and the Myanmar Government for giving us access to deliver the aids.
We hope the aids will reach to the desired location of approximately 170 kilometers from the airport, and then transported by trucks to the location where the refugees on the border of Bangladesh and Myanmar stay. And I would like to thank all parties who have supported and stand together with the Government, be it the community, mass organisations, local governments, or entrepreneurs who will also dispatch humanitarian aids for our refugee brothers and sisters from Rakhine State who are either in Myanmar or Bangladesh.
I think that is all I can say, thank you. And by saying bismillahirrahmanirrahim, I declare the humanitarian aids from Indonesia to the border of Bangladesh Myanmar are dispatched. Thank you.
Wassalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh. (PR, Cabinet Secretariat) (NY/AW/YM/Naster)