United States Stricken By Demonstrations And Riots, Indonesian Citizens Are Ensured Safe

Illustration (Photo: Nick Agus Arya on Unsplash)

JAKARTA - The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) for the United States is based in Washington DC and the entire Indonesian Consulate General (KJRI) ensures that Indonesian citizens (WNI) who are there are safe.

Deputy Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the United States, Iwan Freddy, stated that his party was directly monitoring Indonesian citizens because of the wave of mass actions that continued to spread to several cities. This mass action was triggered by the death of George Floyd.

"All Indonesian citizens in the US, totaling 142,441 people, are currently in a safe and good condition. There are no reports regarding Indonesian citizens being affected by the demonstration," said Iwan in a written statement, June 2.

Currently, said Iwan, the safety and security of Indonesian citizens is of particular concern to the Indonesian Embassy and the Consulate General in the United States. Iwan appealed to Indonesian citizens to remain calm in their activities, not to leave the house except in urgent situations, and to provide household or health needs.

"We are cautioned to stay away from the places where the demonstrations are taking place because it will endanger their safety and security. Obey all instructions, policies and regulations issued by the local authorities," he said.

He continued, all Indonesian Representatives in the US continued to maintain contact with Indonesian community nodes, including students, in various regions in the US to help closely monitor and ensure the safety of Indonesian citizens in the current situation.

For information, rallies that took place in various states of the United States, such as California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin .

Some have implemented curfew and emergency status regulations. This is because several demonstrations have turned violent and have resulted in damage and arson in several shops and restaurants around the demonstration site.

In fact, a number of countries outside the United States have also staged an action against racist treatment of black people as a form of empathy for George Floyd's death. Among them are London (England), Berlin (Germany), New Zealand, and Amsterdam (Netherlands).

This action was triggered by the death of the black man George Floyd. He died because he was arrested by the police on charges of using counterfeit money to transact at the grocery store. One of the officers then handcuffed Floyd and sat on his neck.

As more and more people witnessed what happened, Floyd began to moan in pain. According to Frazier's testimony in another of his videos described, the man's face was pressed so hard that his nose was bleeding. "You're just going to sit there with your knees to his neck?" asked a witness to the police.

A few minutes later, the man appeared motionless, his eyes closed and his head drooping in the street. "He didn't even move at all," said a witness who begged the police to stop him. Another witness asked the policeman "Did you kill him?"

Then, the man who was already unconscious was stretchered into the ambulance. The people who were still at the scene told the two policemen that the incident would haunt them for the rest of their lives.

According to the police, he had to be paralyzed because he fought back. But the information is still vague. Meanwhile Minneapolis Police Chief, Medaria Arradondo asked the FBI to seek further cases.