“Repatriating our migrant workers from Myanmar was extremely challenging, as many of them were located in areas controlled by rebel groups,” Mohammad Kurniadi Koba, Deputy for Foreign Political Affairs at Kemenko Polkam, stated during a coordination meeting on the protection and handling of migrant workers in the Bangka Belitung Islands held in Pangkalpinang on Wednesday.
He explained that addressing the issue of undocumented or troubled Indonesian migrant workers abroad is complex, requiring cross-ministerial, inter-agency, and international cooperation, as well as clarity regarding their legal status and the appointment of responsible authorities.
“These workers were in rebel-held territories, which made it extremely difficult to access them and coordinate their return,” he remarked.
According to Koba, Myanmar is, in practice, controlled by various rebel factions, making negotiations for repatriation unclear and difficult to pursue through official government channels.
“We could not engage with the Myanmar government on this matter because the areas in question were outside their control,” he explained.
He expressed his appreciation to the provincial government of the Bangka Belitung Islands for organizing the coordination meeting focused on the protection of Indonesian migrant workers in the region.
“This coordination forum supports the national government’s efforts to ensure the protection and proper handling of Indonesian migrant workers, so they can work abroad safely and with dignity,” he remarked.
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Translator: Aprionis, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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