Indonesian Diplomat Dies, Rieke Diah Urges Budget Relocation Of Foreign Visits For The Protection Of Indonesian Citizens

Member of Commission VI DPR RI from the PDIP faction Rieke Diah Pitaloka. (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Member of the Indonesian Workers Protection Task Force of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), Rieke Diah Pitaloka, asked the government to relocate the overseas visit budget for DPR members to increase the protection and safety of Indonesian citizens (WNI) in other countries.

This was said by Rieke when highlighting the shooting incident of a RI diplomat, Zetro Leonardo Purba (40) to death in the Agile Lima district, Peru, on Monday, September 1, local time.

According to Rieke, this case adds to the list of mysterious deaths by the Indonesian diploma after the young diploma of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Arya Daru Pangayunan, indicated that he died unnaturally with his head taped.

Rieke said that the number of Indonesian citizens' violence in various countries continues to increase, especially in cases of Trafficking in Persons. Therefore, he considered, it is time for the state to increase protection for Indonesian citizens.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, especially the Directorate of Protection of Indonesian citizens, is at the forefront of protecting Indonesian citizens in various countries, including in countries in a security crisis," Rieke told reporters, Wednesday, September 3.

According to Rieke, the APBN allocation is indicated to lack perspective on the protection of Indonesian citizens and assigned diplomats. He said that the 2025 WNI Protection budget in all countries was only Rp. 220,981,909,000 divided into Dit. PWNI Rp. 49,972,110,000, and representatives of Rp. 171,009,799,000.

"In the 2026 RAPBN, the WNI Protection budget is Rp. 207,528,868,000, the Dit.PWNI actually decreased 29.92 percent to Rp. 35,020,713,000. Representatives increased by only 0.08 percent, namely Rp. 172,508,155,000," he said.

Rieke said that the APBN allocates a budget for foreign visits by state institutions, not only the DPR RI, but also all Ministries and Institutions, including election organizers.

For this reason, Rieke supports the attitude of President Prabowo Subianto and the Party Chairs regarding the moratorium on foreign working visits by members of the Indonesian House of Representatives.

"I support President Prabowo's evaluation and moratorium on foreign visits from all state institutions, except for very important and urgent activities," he said.

Rieke also asked the Ministry of Finance and Banggar of the Indonesian House of Representatives to relocate the budget for foreign visits by state institutions to the budget for protecting Indonesian citizens abroad.

"Especially for the destination countries for Indonesian Migrant Workers and countries, they are categorized as emergency," he concluded.

For information, the Indonesian Embassy in Lima has coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru and the Peruvian police to hunt down the perpetrators is a hitman.

Peru itself is a country experiencing a multidimensional crisis with a high level of crime and violence. In March 2025 the Peruvian government even declared a state of violence emergency.