"As of January to February 2013, the Embassy has returned 1057 citizens."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesian government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs again repatriated 129 of its citizen from the conflicted country of Syria from Beirut on Tuesday, Feb 26.

The repatriation on Tuesday was the fifth, according to the official press release from the Foreign Affairs Ministry received here Wednesday.

"This is the fifth repatriation effort, after 128 citizens were repatriated first on February 6, 2013. Second on February 13 20113 repatriate 132 citizens, 87 citizens in the third repatriation on February 18, 2013, 73 citizens on the fourth repatriation at February 20, 2013 and the last one was one Tuesday February 26, 2013 repatriated as many as 129 citizen," said Director of Information and Media-the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, P.L.E. Priatna.

Priatna added that the total number of citizens who were repatriated in February reached 549 citizens, where earlier in January 2013, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Embassy in Damascus also has returned as much as 508 citizens.

The Indonesian Ambassador to Damascus Wahib Abdul Jawad said that the Embassy in Damascus to continue attempts to accelerate the process of repatriation of Indonesian citizens from Syria as much as possible,

"As of January to February 2013, the Embassy has returned 1057 citizens. The significant number increase in January and February 2013 is based on factors such as good coordination between Task force from the Indonesian embassy in Damascus and Beirut," Wahib said.

Besides the Ministry`s Acceleration Team also helps the Task Force Embassy in Damascus to reach that number, he added.

After the repatriation the numbers of citizens who are still sheltering in Embassy in Damascus reached 172 people, where 70 citizens have already are ready to be repatriated on the next schedule.

Despite many challenges, the Embassy in Damascus will seek to realize zero shelter, the number of shelter occupants that reached 172 people is the lowest number since the last 6 months, especially in December 2012 where the number reached 648 people.
(T.A050/O001)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2013