President Jokowi Instructs The Evacuation Of Indonesian Citizens In Hubei Province

President Joko Widodo held a meeting with his staff to discuss the evacuation of Indonesian citizens in China (Photo: Twitter @setkabgoid)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) instructed his staff to immediately evacuate Indonesian citizens (WNI) who were in Hubei Province, China.

The order came out after the President held a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi, Minister of State Secretary Pratikno, Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly, Minister of Health Terawan Agus Putranto, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Wishnutama, and Head of BNPB Doni Monardo. This meeting was held in the waiting room of Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base, DKI Jakarta Province, Thursday, January 30, afternoon.

"The President has ordered the evacuation of Indonesian citizens of Hubei Province to be carried out immediately," said Retno after a meeting with the Press, Media and Information Bureau of the Presidential Secretariat (BPMI) reported on the setkab.go.id page.

President @jokowi instructed to immediately evacuate Indonesian citizens in Prov. Hubei, China. This decision was taken after meeting the Foreign Minister, State Secretary, Menkumham, Minister of Health, Menparekraf, & Head of BNPB in the waiting room of Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base, Thursday (30/1). Photo & News: BPMI Setpres pic.twitter.com/l6XnegRZm8

- Cabinet Secretariat (@setkabgoid) January 30, 2020

Jokowi had said that the evacuation option was being studied by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by taking into account existing procedures. He said that when answering journalists' questions at Puspitek, Tangerang.

"Earlier, I told the Foreign Minister this morning to start exploring about it. But we will also carry out the stages this afternoon," said Jokowi.

He added that the evacuation of Indonesian citizens from China would involve many elements, including elements of the TNI related to health.

"I think we have, for example, the RSPAD team, they are much more prepared and they have already stated that they are ready," said Jokowi.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, January 29, the Head of the Indonesian Air Force (Kadispenau) First Marshal TNI Fajar Adriyanto said that the Indonesian Air Force had prepared two Boeing 737 and one C130 Hercules type aircraft if needed to evacuate Indonesian citizens in China. This aircraft is in a state of standby to be dispatched there.

"We are still on stand-by, the Indonesian Air Force is clearly ready, whenever it is dispatched ready," he said.