DPR Asks Government To Accelerate Evacuation Of Indonesian Citizens In Lebanon: Citizen Safety Must Be Priority

Israeli Iron Dome/DOK Defense Forces via WIkimedia Commons

JAKARTA - Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives Commission I Junico BP Siahaan asked the Government to accelerate the evacuation process of Indonesian citizens (WNI) who are still in Lebanon. This follows an Israeli attack on Lebanon which resulted in hundreds of lives being lost.

"In an emergency situation like this, every second means a lot to the safety of Indonesian citizens in Lebanon. The government must accelerate the evacuation of Indonesian citizens who are still detained in Lebanon. The safety of our citizens must be a priority," said Junico Siahaan, Friday, September 27.

As is known, the Israeli military on Monday (23/9) local time launched a series of airstrikes against hundreds of targets of the Hezbollah group in Lebanese territory. As a result of this massive attack, tens of thousands of people were forced to flee to safer locations. The series of Israeli attacks were recorded as the deadliest ever to hit Lebanon in recent decades.

The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday (26/9) held a coordination meeting with the TNI to discuss the protection of Indonesian citizens in Lebanon. The government emphasized that if the situation is further resolved, TNI troops at UNIFIL (UN Peacekeeping Force) will provide support for the evacuation process of Indonesian citizens in Lebanon, while still coordinating through the UNIFIL Force Commander.

Junico asked the Government to ensure that Indonesia can collaborate with friendly countries and international organizations in the evacuation process in Lebanon.

"This emergency situation requires swift and coordinated action. The government must move efficiently and ensure that Indonesian citizens receive safe protection and evacuation," explained the man who is familiarly called Nico Siahaan.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to date there are 155 Indonesian citizens registered in Lebanon. However, 25 of them have been evacuated by the Indonesian Embassy, while others chose to stay in Lebanon including 46 students.

Nico emphasized that the main focus that must be ensured by the Government is to ensure the safety of Indonesian citizens. In addition to the safe evacuation process, the Government must be able to ensure that the condition of Indonesian citizens who are still surviving is all safe.

"Aid support such as logistics and others must also be guaranteed. And prepare safe evacuation locations, especially for Indonesian citizens who live near war areas," said Nico.

Commission I of the DPR in charge of defense and international relations also emphasized the importance of the collaboration of the crisis management team. That way, said Nico, every need of Indonesian citizens who are still in Lebanon can be met.

"The evacuation process must run without obstacles and must be carried out in full coordination between the relevant ministries and government agencies," added the legislator from the West Java I electoral district.

An Indonesian citizen in Lebanon said the latest attack targeting wireless communications devices was more dire than airstrikes. A number of walkie-talkies and pagers used by the Hezbollah armed group were found to have exploded in the southern suburbs of Beirut's capital, Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon. The mass explosion of carrier communication devices and walkie-talkies left 37 people dead and thousands injured.

While Hezbollah claims to continue attacks crossing the border unless there is a ceasefire in Gaza, Palestine, and that no killing will return residents to northern Israel.

Seeing the condition of the middle east which continues to heat up, Nico hopes that the Indonesian people in Lebanon will return to their homeland first until conditions are better.

"For the sake of the safety and security of Indonesian citizens, evacuation is indeed the best way. But if it is not yet possible to return, I urge Indonesian citizens in Lebanon to avoid places prone to attacks," he said.

Since last August, the Indonesian Embassy in Beirut has evacuated a number of Indonesian citizens. The evacuation of wave 4 is being prepared with various challenges, given that many flights from and to Beirut were closed. The Indonesian Embassy in Beirut itself has opened its doors to become a shelter or shelter for Indonesian citizens in Lebanon.

Israel's military aggression has seriously injured humanity because many civilians have been victims of attacks. This attack caused instability in the Middle East region. We hope the situation improves soon," said Nico.

The Indonesian Embassy was also asked to continue to communicate and coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the conditions of Indonesian citizens in Lebanon. According to Nico, this is done so that the families of Indonesian citizens in Indonesia get access to information about the status and safety of their relatives in Lebanon.

"The government is expected to provide special hotline services to obtain information about the evacuation process and available assistance," he concluded.