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View all search resultsWe are on this: Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhamin Iskandar (from left to right), Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto, Law and Human Rights Minister Amir Syamsuddin and Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa answer questions from reporters on a riot in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
We are on this: Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhamin Iskandar (from left to right), Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto, Law and Human Rights Minister Amir Syamsuddin and Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa answer questions from reporters on a riot in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. On Tuesday Indonesian migrant workers ran amok while waiting in line for their exit visa to be processed by the Indonesian consulate general in the city. (JP/Jerry Adiguna) (from left to right), Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto, Law and Human Rights Minister Amir Syamsuddin and Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa answer questions from reporters on a riot in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. On Tuesday Indonesian migrant workers ran amok while waiting in line for their exit visa to be processed by the Indonesian consulate general in the city. (JP/Jerry Adiguna)
span class="caption" style="width: 510px;">We are on this: Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhamin Iskandar (from left to right), Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto, Law and Human Rights Minister Amir Syamsuddin and Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa answer questions from reporters on a riot in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. On Tuesday Indonesian migrant workers ran amok while waiting in line for their exit visa to be processed by the Indonesian consulate general in the city. (JP/Jerry Adiguna)
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has ordered a team of 30 be dispatched to Saudi Arabia to help clear the backlog of administrative work which resulted in riots in Jeddah, which killed one Indonesian worker.
'I have been directly instructed by the President to lead the delegation. We have received reports but I need to directly observe the services and receive first-hand information,' Law and Human Rights Deputy Minister Denny Indrayana said on Tuesday.
The team comprises officials from the Law and Human Rights Ministry, the Foreign Ministry, the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry, National Labor Placement and Protection Agency (BNP2TKI), the National Police, and the Indonesian Military (TNI).
Thousands of illegal Indonesian workers were taking advantage of the Saudi government's amnesty which allows 'overstayed' foreign workers, mostly Indonesians to leave the country with impunity.
Thousands arrived at the Jeddah consulate to apply for the travel documents in lieu of passports (SPLP) required to exit the country.
The long wait frustrated the stranded workers who then ran amok. Consulate officials were powerless against the stampede that descended into rioting on Sunday.
While the incident was supposedly triggered by red tape, presidential foreign affairs spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said it only because the workers had been 'impatient, unruly, and provocative'.
Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto said a rumor that the Saudi government had shortened the deadline had done nothing to dispel panic among the workers.
The Saudi government launched the amnesty in May. It is scheduled to expire on July 3. Thereafter, officials in the oil-rich kingdom intend to crack down on illegal immigrants.
As the mob lit a fire against a wall of the consulate, an 55 year old Indonesian female worker, Marwah binti Hasan, died, allegedly due to fatigue and severe dehydration.
A security guard working for the consulate general was hospitalized with severe injuries, following clashes with protesters.
Denny said his team would negotiate with the Saudi government to extend the deadline of the amnesty.
Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said the capacity of the Jeddah consulate had been significantly improved.
'The number of counters has been increased from six to 24,' he said in a press conference in Jakarta.
The Saudi government also agreed to improve security around the consulate compound.
'The Saudi government increased the number of police personnel to guard the consulate from 30 to 100 officers,' Djoko said.
In the press conference, Marty also disclosed that the position of Indonesian consul general in Jeddah had been vacant for several months.
'There are several vacant positions for consuls general. In Jeddah, the position is vacant as it is still in a transition period,' he said, denying that the absence of a consul general had contributed to the failure to anticipate demand for documents.
Marty said the ministry had assigned officials from the Embassy in Riyadh and consulates general in cities around Jeddah to handle jobs there.
The Jeddah riot made headlines in national and regional news media on Monday.
On Monday night, a day after the fatal incident, Yudhoyono tweeted.
'My instruction is to handle the matter with extraordinary effort and with good coordination,' the President said on @SBYudhoyono.
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