VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jakarta (VOI News) - The Indonesian Embassy in Panama City in collaboration with Gilontas Ocean Panama, a Taiwanese-owned shipping company has successfully repatriated 39 Indonesian ship crew members working on fishing vessels, from Panama City to Indonesia by a humanitarian aircraft. Rheinhard Sinaga, Protocol and Consular Functions at the Indonesian Embassy in Panama City in his statement to the Voice of Indonesia in Jakarta, Sunday (26/7) said that the repatriation of the Indonesian ship crew members this time was carried out in 3 phases, namely on July 7 with 9 crews, on July 14 with 12 crews and on July 21 with 18 crews. 

Rheinhard Sinaga further said the Indonesian Embassy in Panama City intensively coordinated with various parties to help facilitate the repatriation of the Indonesian ship crew members. 

"In this repatriation, the Indonesian Embassy in Panama City coordinated intensively with Gilontas Ocean Panama, the Ship Agents in Indonesia, and related authorities in Panama to help facilitate in terms of diplomatic affairs, related to permits disembarkation from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Panama, the issuance of travel certificate for the Indonesian ship crew members and other related matters from the Government of Panama. The repatriation costs are entirely borne by the Gilontas Ocean Panama company," Reinhard Sinaga said.

Rheinhard Sinaga added, the Indonesian crew members used a humanitarian flight organized by KLM Flight from Panama to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and continued with a commercial plane via Doha, Qatar, to Jakarta. 

In his statement, Reinhard Sinaga said upon arrival in Jakarta, the Indonesian ship crew members undergo a health protocol set by the Indonesian Government to ensure that they are in a healthy condition and are not infected with the COVID-19 virus before continuing their journey to their respective regions. (VOI / AHM)