Therefore, (it is expected that) a document on cooperation in dealing with human trafficking due to misuse of technology will be adopted at the summit later.
Labuan Bajo, NTT (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government will discuss attempts to eradicate human trafficking at the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai District, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Province, on May 9-11, 2023.

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) stated at a press conference, here, on Monday that the crimes often related to online scams.

"This issue is important, and I propose this (human trafficking to be discussed at the summit) because the victims are the people of ASEAN, and most of them are Indonesian citizens (WNI)," he remarked.

He said that recently, the government had successfully rescued 20 WNI, who had become victims of human trafficking in Myanmar.

According to the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry, the victims had been taken from Myawaddy, Myanmar, to the border of the country with Thailand in two stages.

The Indonesian Embassy in Yangon, Myanmar, rescued four WNI on May 5, 2023, and the rest of them on May 6, 2023.

Furthermore, the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, will coordinate with the local authorities to repatriate the victims to Indonesia.

"It was not easy because the location (Myawaddy) is a conflict area," the president noted.

Furthermore, the Philippine authorities and representatives of related institutions of other countries, including Indonesia, had rescued 1,048 victims of human trafficking from 10 countries on May 5, 2023, from which 143 were WNI, he remarked.

Hence, Jokowi emphasized the need to fully eradicate human trafficking, including the driving factors and perpetrators of the crime.

"Therefore, (it is expected that) a document on cooperation in dealing with human trafficking due to misuse of technology will be adopted at the summit later," he stated.

Earlier, Foreign Affairs Ministry's spokesperson, Teuku Faizasyah, had stated that other important issues discussed at the summit included the attempts to strengthen ASEAN institutions, formulation of the ASEAN Post-2025 Vision, and developments in the situation in Myanmar.

In addition, the state leaders of ASEAN member countries are expected to agree on the ASEAN Leaders' Statement on the Development of the ASEAN Community's Post-2025 Vision at the 42nd ASEAN Summit.

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Translator: Gilang Galiartha, Uyu Liman
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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