Govt to evacuate Indonesians in Syria when necessary

The Foreign Ministry is preparing to evacuate Indonesians in Syria amid political instability in the Middle Eastern country that has so far killed 5,400 people.

“We are deeply concerned over what is happening in Syria and continue to monitor the situation there. The ministry has sent a team to coordinate with the Indonesian Embassy in Syria," Foreign Ministry spokesman Michael Tene said on Friday as quoted by Antara.

Michael added that should the crisis in Syria persist, the embassy would evacuate Indonesian citizens to a safer place.

“They will be evacuated to other locations in Syria that are safer, to neighboring countries, or even back home. It depends on the situation,” he said.

Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa earlier called on Indonesians living in Syria to return home, citing the danger they faced to their lives by staying there.

According to the Syrian Immigration Office, there are about 80,000 Indonesians in Syria. But the Indonesian Embassy only recorded 12,500 Indonesian citizens in that country working as diplomats, students and skilled workers.

Violence broke out in Syria in March last year between President Bashar Assad’s loyalists and Syrian civilians demanding that Assad step down. (tas/mtq)