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Indonesian journo hit by stray bullet recovering in hospital: Foreign Ministry

Indonesian journalist Veby Mega Indah is recovering in a hospital after being hit by a stray rubber bullet during a rally she was covering in Hong Kong, China, on Sunday.

News Desk (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Mon, September 30, 2019

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Indonesian journo hit by stray bullet recovering in hospital: Foreign Ministry A pedestrian walks past bricks dug up from the pavement by protesters along a street in Hong Kong on Monday, a day after the protest-wracked financial hub witnessed its fiercest political violence in weeks. (AFP/Richard A. Brooks )

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n Indonesian journalist who was injured in ongoing protests in Hong Kong is currently recovering in a hospital, the Foreign Ministry’s director for citizen protection, Judha Nugraha, said on Monday morning.

Veby Mega Indah, who works for the Indonesian-language newspaper Suara in Hong Kong, has been receiving medical attention for a bullet that ricocheted off her face as she was covering a demonstration in the Wan Chai area of the Chinese-ruled city on Sunday.

“She is in stable condition [on Monday] and is gradually recovering,” said Judha, citing a report from the Indonesian Consulate General in Hong Kong after a visit to the hospital.

Local police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons in multiple locations in Hong Kong on Sunday in a bid to disperse protesters hurling bricks and petrol bombs, AFP reported.

The Consulate General previously said it had received a report of Veby’s injury on Sunday afternoon and has since facilitated Veby’s rights and maintained communication with her workplace and relatives in Indonesia.

Judha said Indonesian officials had met with the authorities in Hong Kong to make an official report on the incident. It remains unclear what actions will be taken, but labor rights group Migrant CARE has called on the Hong Kong administration to take responsibility.

"The Foreign Ministry and the Consulate General continues to urge all Indonesian citizens in Hong Kong to stay away from points of mass gatherings and to refrain from participating in any political activities,” Judha said in the press statement.

No other Indonesian casualties have been reported.

According to the ministry’s Safe Travel mobile application, which provides travel advisories for places around the world, travelers to Hong Kong are advised to keep up-to-date with local news outlets and avoid areas detailed in a schedule compiled by the Consulate General. It also said that a number of flights have been delayed as a result of the ongoing protests.

As China prepares to celebrate its 70th anniversary on Tuesday, Hong Kong authorities are on high alert to stamp out any activities that could draw unwanted attention to the city. Activists say they are planning a mass rally from Victoria Park in Causeway Bay to Chater Garden near the government compound, according to local reports.

The anti-government protests that have roiled Hong Kong for nearly four months were initially sparked by a plan to pass a controversial extradition bill, which stoked fears that China would stamp out the city’s unique freedoms and culture. (tjs)

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