We provide all the things needed by Indonesian citizens who want to be evacuated from Libya, however, those who still want to stay there will also be protected through our embassy there
Cairo (ANTARA News) - Some 216 Indonesians left Tripoli, Libya on Tuesday at 9.45 pm local time or Wednesday at 4.45 am Western Indonesian Standard Time (WIB), for Tunis, Tunisia.

"The second batch of evacuees just took off from the airport in Tripoli. They numbered 216 people, including 92 students," Indonesian Ambassador to Libya Sanusi told ANTARA correspondent in Cairo, Munawar Makyanie, Tuesday.

Last Saturday (Feb. 26), some 253 Indonesian nationals were evacuated by a chartered TunisAir plane from Tripoli to Tunis.

Two Indonesian students, several migrant workers and embassy staff decided to stay in Libya despite the violence.

"Two students want to remain in Libya as they feel safe at their university hostel, and several female migrant workers also think it was safe being with their employers," Ambassador Sanusi said.

Meanwhile, two out of five Indonesian female housemaids working at Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi family house were evacuated.

According to Sanusi, the departure of the second batch was relatively smooth as they just had to wait for around 12 hours at the Tripoli airport, compared to the previous evacuees who had been stranded for around 40 hours at the airport while waiting for the plane.

The chartered TunisAir plane had been late to arrive at the airport due to the delay in obtaining a landing permit from the Libyan authorities.

Currently, the Tripoli airport is still crowded with foreigners wanting to escape from the strife-torn country.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa said in Jakarta, Tuesday (March 1) that the Indonesia government would facilitate the repatriation of Indonesians from Libya but those who preferred to stay there would still get protection from the Indonesian Embassy to Libya.

"We provide all the things needed by Indonesian citizens who want to be evacuated from Libya, however, those who still want to stay there will also be protected through our embassy there," said Marty.(*)

Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
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