Indonesian Government’s Response
16 square kilometers, which was approximately 20 of the island. Galang island itself was located in Riau Archipelago province. In the running of Galang camp, there
were enough infrastructures needed by refugees. It was equipped by a camp administration office, PMI Indonesian Red Cross Hospital, schools services,
Catholic churches, Buddhist temple, cemetery, and a Youth Center set up and run by the refugees themselves. In plotting the refugees, the Camp itself was divided into
three sites to accommodate about 250,000 boat people from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam from 1975 to 1996.
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The management and infrastructure in this island were conducted by Indonesian government with UNHCR cooperation. UNHCR and donor countries bear
the management cost, meanwhile Indonesian government focus on technical sector for the refugees. The decision of Indonesia to contribute in solving the problem of
Vietnam refugees also to reduce a negative view from the international community related of humanitarian crisis which faced by Indonesia at that time.
Review the position of Indonesia as a country that did not ratify the Convention on refugee status of 1951 and the 1967 protocol on refugees, it can be
seen the role of Indonesia in handling the case this only as the receiving country for refugees and not concern about the refugees themselves. So in Vietnam refugee case,
the cooperating role between UNHCR and IOM greatly assisting Indonesia position
5
Refugee Camps, accessed on November 29
th
2016 from : http:www.refugeecamps.netGalangCamp.html
as a countries which not ratified in 1951 and 1967 protocol. Indonesia Government simply does not have the authority to determine whether a person or group of people
requesting refugee status, are recognized as refugees. The authority is exercised by the UNHCR, without government intervention.
As Indonesia is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, the government has allowed two international institutions to deal with asylum seekers
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; The first is The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR
oversees refugee status determination, resettlement, and repatriation. And the second, The International Organization for Migration IOM is responsible for day-to-day
assistance, including providing food, accommodation, and healthcare; asylum seekers and refugees remain IOM‟s responsibility until they are resettled in a third country or
voluntarily return home.
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Legal Framework and Role of UNHCR to RSD | Suaka, accessed on December 1
st
2016 from : https:suaka.or.id20150709legal-framework-and-role-of-unhcr-to-rsd
CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS OF UNHCR REASONS RECOMMENDING IOM IN DEALING
WITH VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN INDONESIA
In analyzing the reason of UNHCR reasons recommending IOM toward Vietnamese refugees in Indonesia, the writer will use the theory Role
theory by Stephen G.Walker supported by the concept of international organization by R.Axelrod and Keohane R.O. Roles are social positions which are
constituted by ego and alter expectations regarding the purpose of an actor in an organized group Harnisch S. , 2010. The positions function in the group is
limited in time and scope and it is dependent on the groups‟ structure and purpose. While some roles are constitutive to the group as such, recognized
member of the international community, other roles or role sets are functionally specific, i.e. balancer, initiator etc.
1
While international cooperation describes interactions to achieve common
objectives when actors‟ preferences are neither identical harmony nor irreconcilable conflict.
1
Legal Framework and Role of UNHCR to RSD | Suaka, accessed on December 1
st
2016 from : https:suaka.or.id20150709legal-framework-and-role-of-unhcr-to-rsd