Appreciation for the Repatriation of Hundreds of Indonesian Citizens Victims of Human Trafficking in Myanmar
Jakarta – As many as 400 Indonesian citizens (WNI) who were victims of human trafficking (TPPO) exploitation of online scams have been successfully repatriated from Myawaddy, Myanmar. The Director of Protection of Indonesian Citizens at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Judha Nugraha, stated that they had been ferried to Maesot City, Thailand, via the 2nd Friendship Bridge before being flown to Indonesia.
“After going through a health screening process and the National Referral Mechanism, the Indonesian citizens departed by land for 9 hours using 9 buses to Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport. Furthermore, they were flown by charter plane to Indonesia,” said Judha in a written statement, Tuesday (18/3/2025).
Judha revealed that this repatriation involved intensive coordination between the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Indonesian Embassies in Bangkok and Yangon, and the National Police Hubinter. The evacuation process also received full support from the Thai and Myanmar authorities, so that the crossing could run smoothly.
The Indonesian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand, Rachmat Budiman, also directly led the repatriation of the 400 Indonesian citizens to Jakarta.
“All Indonesian citizens arrived at Soekarno-Hatta Airport on March 18, 2025 at 09.00 WIB,” he added.
In addition, the next stage of efforts to ferry 154 other Indonesian citizens from Myawaddy to Maesot was carried out on March 18, 2025, with a scheduled arrival in Jakarta on March 19, 2025.
Of the total 400 Indonesian citizens who have been repatriated, they consist of 313 men and 87 women, with five of them pregnant. The victims came from 21 provinces, with the largest areas of origin from North Sumatra, Bangka Belitung, West Java, Jakarta, and North Sulawesi.
The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that all Indonesian citizens were in good health after undergoing a health check in Thailand before being repatriated to Indonesia.
The government also emphasized its commitment to continue to tighten supervision of TPPO in order to prevent similar cases in the future. In addition, rehabilitation and social reintegration steps for the victims will be the main priority after they return home.
With the success of this evacuation, Indonesia has once again demonstrated its strong commitment to protecting its citizens from the crime of human trafficking, while strengthening prevention efforts through closer international cooperation.
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