JAKARTA - Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi highlighted the magnitude of the impact of criminal acts of trafficking in persons (TPPO) in cases of fraud using information and communication technology (online scams) in the Southeast Asia region.
The rise of trade in people under the guise of online scams is evidenced by 1,841 cases that have been resolved by the Indonesian government in the last three years.
"I want to give a highlight that this online scam case has become a regional problem with victims coming from various countries. For Indonesian victims, it is recorded that they are located in Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and the Philippines," said Retno quoting Antara.
Currently, he said, the government is trying to protect Indonesian citizens (WNI) who are victims of human trafficking who are employed at online scams companies in Myawaddy, Myanmar.
The government is paying great attention to the handling of this case considering Myawaddy, which is located 415 km from Yangon, is a conflict area where Naypydaw's central authority does not have full control.
Therefore, Indonesia continues to communicate, both with the authorities in Naypydaw, authorities in Thailand, local authorities in Myawaddy, and also with other organizations such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Regional Support Office of the Bali Process in Bangkok.
"So we communicate with so many parties with the aim of providing protection to Indonesian citizens and then being able to get Indonesian citizens out of the area safely," said Retno.
Apart from Myanmar, the government through the Indonesian Embassy in Manila has worked with Philippine law enforcement authorities and foreign national representatives in the operation to rescue victims of online scams.
The operation managed to save a total of 1,048 people from 10 countries, including from Indonesia.
The 143 victims who were rescued by Indonesian citizens. The Indonesian Embassy in Manila is currently collecting data and will facilitate the repatriation of victims to Indonesia," said Retno.
"Once again the numbers and what is conveyed about the operation in Manila show the magnitude of the crime of human trafficking whose victims are ASEAN citizens," he added.
While continuing to deal with downstream problems, Foreign Minister Retno reiterated the importance of improving problems from upstream.
According to him, dissemination of information regarding the practice of human trafficking under the guise of online scams needs to continue to be carried out at the regional level, even at the village level.
"Law enforcement must really be enforced. If improvements are not made upstream, then there will be more victims from day to day," he said.
Responding to the increasing number of victims of human trafficking through online scams, Indonesia as chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) seeks to raise this issue at the 42nd ASEAN Summit on 9-11 May.
The strengthening of TIP response efforts will be discussed in the plenary session of the ASEAN Summit which will be led by President Joko Widodo.
"Indonesiatif Indonesia sebagai bentuk upaya regional dalam penanganan TIP akan dibahas dan dituangkan dalam ASEAN Leaders' Declaration on Combating TIP Caused by Abuse of Technology," kata Juru Bicara Kemlu RI Teuku Faizasyah.
The complexity of the TIP problem, he said, requires collective efforts to handle the regional collectively starting from the stage of detection, prevention, protection, repatriation, rehabilitation, and overcoming the root of the problem.
For this reason, Faizasyah said that the capacity of ASEAN member state law enforcers needs to be strengthened in conducting investigations, collecting evidence, identifying victims, and processing.
"It is also necessary to strengthen cooperation for the prevention, rehabilitation, and reintegration of the victims," he said.
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