Indonesia to evacuate citizens from Myanmar if needed

JAKARTA, Indonesia

Indonesia would evacuate its citizens if the situation worsened in Myanmar, the Indonesian ambassador said on Tuesday.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Iza Fadri, Indonesia’s ambassador to Myanmar, said the evacuation plan was a part of the procedures set by the Foreign Ministry, stressing that the citizens are safe so far.

"Yes, it [evacuation plan] is in accordance with the Foreign Ministry’s procedures," said Fadri.

Meanwhile, Teuku Faizasyah, Foreign Ministry spokesman, said the decision to evacuate citizens will be made by the embassy in Myanmar.

"Indonesian citizens are in good condition. The Indonesian embassy has the capacity to provide assessments and recommend the implementation of contingent measures," Faizasyah told Anadolu Agency.

According to data from the ministry, there are currently 500 Indonesians residing in Myanmar, with most of them working in oil and gas sector, garment industry, and at ships in Yangon.

The Indonesian Embassy in Yangon urged citizens to remain calm and alert, pay close attention to the security situation, and refrain from leaving their homes unnecessarily.

Hundreds of thousands of anti-coup protesters gathered again in the streets of Yangon and several parts of the country for a fourth consecutive day, demanding an end to the military rule and the release of detained leaders.

Myanmar's military, officially known as the Tatmadaw, declared a state of emergency on Feb. 1, hours after detaining President Win Myint, State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, and other senior members of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) party.

Suu Kyi served as the late counselor of Myanmar from 2016 to 2021, following a long struggle for democracy in the nation that earned her the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. But her silence over the massacre of Rohingya Muslims and defense of the military's genocide at the international court drew harsh criticism across the globe.

The coup took place hours before the first session of the country's new parliament was set to convene following elections last November in which Suu Kyi's NLD party made sweeping gains. The military claimed the coup was staged due to "election fraud" in the polls.

*Writing by Rhany Chairunissa Rufinaldo with Anadolu Agency's Indonesian-language services in Jakarta.