ジョコウィ大統領、ASEANに対し、人身売買業者の厳格な行動を呼びかける

LABUAN BAJO - President Joko Widodo invites the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries to take firm action against perpetrators of human trafficking crimes.

According to President Jokowi, the protection of migrant workers and victims of human trafficking is quite a concern for leaders at the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara, 10-11 May 2023.

"Things that touch the interests of the people are an important concern for theLeaders, including the protection of migrant workers and victims of human trafficking. I invite ASEAN countries to take firm action against their main actors," Jokowi said in a press statement closing the ASEAN 42nd Summit series in Labuan Bajo as reported by ANTARA, Thursday, May 11.

There are three documents related to migrant workers and human trafficking produced by ASEAN leaders at the ASEAN 42nd Summit.

First Declaration on Eradication of Human Trafficking Due to Technology Abuse, second Declaration on Placement and Protection of Migrant Fishermen, and third Declaration on Protection of Migrant Workers and Family Members during Crisis Situations.

The issue of human trafficking crimes has indeed become an issue raised by the Indonesian government. President Jokowi in Labuan Bajo, on Monday (8/5), ahead of the summit of the 42nd ASEAN Summit.

"This is important and I deliberately propose it because the victims are ASEAN people and most of them are Indonesian citizens (Indonesian citizens, ed.)," said Jokowi.

A day later, the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD also emphasized that the concept of resolving the law on restorative justice does not apply to cases of criminal acts of trafficking in persons (TPPO), if the perpetrators have been caught.

"The TIP crime is a serious crime that cannot be reconciled, the perpetrator must be punished," Mahfud told the media crew after chairing the 26th Meeting of the ASEAN Political-Security Community Council (APSC) in Labuan Bajo, Tuesday (9/5).

The series of hearings and the summit of ASEAN's 42nd Summit, which was completed in Labuan Bajo, Thursday, resulted in at least 11 documents.

The documents include Declaration on the Eradication of Human Trafficking Due to the Abuse of Technology, Declaration on the Ecosystem Development of Regional Electric Vehicles, Declaration on Increasing Connectivity of Regional Payments and Promotion of Local Currency Transactions, Declaration on Placement and Protection of Migrant Fishermen, Declaration on Protection of Migrant Workers and Family Members during Crisis Situations, and Declaration on One Health Initiative.

In addition, there is also a joint statement, namely the Statement on the Establishment of the ASEAN Village Network, the Statement of the Latest Attack on the Iringan AHA Center and the ASEAN Supervisory Team in Myanmar, the Statement on the Development of the Post-2025 ASEAN Public Vision, the Statement on Strengthening ASEAN Capacity and Effectiveness of Institutions, as well as the Statement of the Leader of the 42nd ASEAN Summit.

The ASEAN 42nd Summit was attended by leaders of member countries, except for Myanmar and Thailand, as well as added Timor Leste.

Myanmar's military junta is still excluded by ASEAN from high-level meetings of the region's organization, for failing to implement the Five-Point Consensus (5PC), a peace plan initiated by ASEAN leaders in April 2021 to help end the conflict in Myanmar.

Meanwhile, Thailand's Prime Minister (PM) Prayut Chan-o-cha was absent from the ASEAN 2023 Summit because his country was preparing to hold an election vote on Sunday (14/5). Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand Don Pramudwinai was present to represent Thailand in the ASEAN 42nd Summit series.