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March 18, 2025 | 03:05 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Foreign Minister Sugiono welcomed the return of 200 Indonesian citizens who were online scam victims from Myawaddy, Myanmar, on Tuesday morning, together with the Coordinating Minister of Political and Security Affairs Budi Gunawan. Another batch of 200 people soon followed a few hours after the first arrival.
Subsequently, 154 people will arrive on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, bringing the total of Indonesian citizens repatriated from Myanmar to 554.
The repatriation efforts area priority Prabowo’s administration, Sugiono said, adding that the move lines up with the president’s directive to “protect and rescue Indonesian citizens facing obstacles abroad.”
The minister explained that the rescue mission was tricky, as Myawaddy is a conflict zone in Myanmar. The Indonesian citizens crossed the Myanmar-Thailand border during a 10-hour overland journey with 13 bus convoys.
"There are various factions and interests in Myawaddy, Myanmar. The coordination was not easy and required a considerable amount of time to reach and carry out the evacuation efforts," he said.
Furthermore, Sugiono mentioned that the Indonesian citizens brought from Myawaddy had briefly stopped in Mae Sot, Thailand.
However, due to the large number of Indonesian citizens and large aircraft are unlikely to fly from Mae Sot to Indonesia, the online scam victims were eventually brought to Bangkok on a 6-hour journey to depart from Don Mueang Airport.
Sugiono underscored the crucial role played by the ministry and the Indonesian embassies in Yangon and Bangkok, in the repatriation of Indonesian citizens.
The first batch of repatriated Indonesian citizens was led by the Indonesian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand, Rachmat Budiman. The final batch, which will arrive tomorrow, will be led by the Director of Citizen Protection, Judha Nugraha.
According to Sugiono, the repatriation efforts posed significant risks to the parties involved, as there were safety threats during the evacuation. "However, due to love for fellow citizens, as well as the sense of responsibility and dedication to duty, they were able to carry out the evacuation efforts amidst various challenges," said Sugiono.
He also expressed gratitude to the authorities of Thailand and Myanmar.
Furthermore, Sugiono urged people who wish to work abroad not to be easily swayed by vague promises. He urged the public to use official, legal, and accountable channels.
Based on records from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the online scam case in Myawaddy is not the first case handled by the Indonesian government. Online scam cases have occurred since 2020. Previously, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs successfully repatriated 92 people in 2024 and 174 people in January-February 2025.
To date, there have been over 6,800 cases handled, spread across 10 destination countries.
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