Jakarta (ANTARA) - The government has worked quickly to tackle human trafficking crimes that tricked its victims into online scamming, Presidential Staff Office (KSP) expert staff Siti Ruhaini Dzuhayatin said here on Sunday.

"The release and repatriation of trafficking victims who were forced into online scamming is the result of the government's quick work in dealing with it from the upstream to downstream level," Dzuhayatin said.

At the upstream level, the government coordinates with the ministries/agencies and local governments to respond to the cases.

While on the downstream side, she said, the government has been encouraging ASEAN member states to carry out concrete cooperation in dealing with human trafficking crimes, especially those led by online fraud.

"So the local authorities can become much more responsive in rescuing Indonesian citizens from the location of these online scam companies," she added.

According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry's report, in early May, at least 25 Indonesian citizens were released from the Myanmar-Thailand border conflict area. The release process was assisted by the Indonesian Embassy in Yangon and the Indonesian Embassy in Bangkok.

Not long after that release, the Indonesian government and the Philippines authority released 240 trafficking victims at a company complex allegedly operated an online fraud.

Of the total victims, 53 were repatriated on May 25-26, while the rest were still undergoing legal processes in the Philippines.

"KSP highly lauds the foreign minister and her ranks for strengthening response with ASEAN member states for concrete and friendly cooperation in handling trafficking," Dzuhayatin said.

Furthermore, she said President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has pushed for the importance of discussing the eradication of human trafficking crimes at the 42nd ASEAN Summit, Labuan Bajo, on May 9-11.

President Jokowi emphasized that key aspects of the Epicentrum of Growth that focus on economic resilience, energy, and health architecture, must not leave out the negative impacts.

"Especially on the abuse of digital technology which causes dehumanization and human trafficking which is referred to as modern slavery," Dzuhayatin said.

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Translator: Rangga J, Kenzu
Editor: Sri Haryati
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