Cambodia Responds To Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi's Request To Release 60 Indonesian Citizens From Being Held Captive

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi/DOK VIA ANTARA

JAKARTA - The Directorate for the Protection of Indonesian Citizens at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemenlu RI) said the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had responded to the request of the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi to release 60 Indonesian citizens held captive in the country.

"The Foreign Minister has communicated directly with the Cambodian Foreign Minister. In fact, the Cambodian Foreign Minister has responded directly," said the Director of Protection for Indonesian Citizens and BHI at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Judha Nugraha in a Media Briefing of the Directorate for Protection of Indonesian Citizens of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jakarta, as reported by ANTARA, Friday, July 29.

Judha said the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had responded and would send a team from the Cambodian police to resolve the case.

"So there will be a faster movement from the Cambodian authorities to be able to secure our Indonesian citizens," he said.

Judha said the victims of fraud by fake investment companies in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, currently increased from 53 people to 60 people.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he said, had taken various steps to help free Indonesian citizens who were held captive. For example, by contacting the Cambodian police to immediately take steps to rescue immediately after receiving a case report.

The government has also communicated with the Cambodian Embassy in Jakarta to raise the issue to the authorities in Phnom Penh.

Law enforcement measures are also being taken in Indonesia by cooperating with the Criminal Investigation Unit of the National Police to conduct deepening and investigations.

"Today we have met with friends from the Criminal Investigation Unit and we received an update that a suspect has been arrested. This is the one who dispatched it," he said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hopes that a website that displays offers to work abroad can also be published so that there are not many other victims.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Embassy also continues to establish communication with Indonesian citizens. Their condition, said Judha, is in relatively good condition. However, they are psychologically quite depressed because they cannot get out of their place of work.

Therefore, high-level measures have been taken to speed up rescue efforts.