The ministry's director for the protection of Indonesian citizens and legal entities, Judha Nugraha, said that the figure is based on information provided by local authorities and reports from Indonesian nationals.
"The (latest) official note from Myanmar stated that the number of Indonesians is recorded at 525 people. This is a very large number," he added at a press briefing here on Thursday.
He informed that to bring the Indonesian nationals back, his ministry is pursuing intensive coordination with the authorities in Thailand, which will serve as the transit country from where they will be sent to Indonesia, just like in the previous scheme.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry is also coordinating with the authorities in Myanmar to ensure that no more Indonesian citizens are still being held captive in Myawaddy, he said.
Related news: Government strives to repatriate 270 Indonesians in Myanmar
The Indonesian citizens will be taken from Myawaddy to the Mae Sot area, which borders Thailand. They will undergo a pre-repatriation process in Bangkok before boarding the return flight, he added.
In February 2025, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and related authorities succeeded in repatriating 130 Indonesian citizens from Myanmar. The repatriation was carried out in two batches.
The first batch, comprising 46 Indonesians, was repatriated on February 20, 2025, while the second batch of 84 Indonesians was repatriated on February 27.
According to Nugraha, the repatriated nationals are from nine provinces, including North Sumatra, West Java, North Sulawesi, and Jakarta.
Related news: Some 46 trafficked Indonesians repatriated, including ex-legislator
Translator: Nabil Ihsan, Raka Adji
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
