VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Bandung: The ASEAN vision as a single tourism destination encourages strong collaboration between ASEAN countries, says the Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno. The vision also emphasizes the importance of cultural exchange between each country in the Southeast Asia region.

VOINews, Jakarta - Pakistani authorities began rounding up undocumented foreigners, most of them Afghans, on Wednesday, ahead of a midnight deadline for them to leave or face expulsion.

The removal of people to temporary holding centres began a day earlier than previously announced. The interior ministry said 140,322 people had already voluntarily left after days in which trucks piled high with belongings and crammed with people have jammed major roads out of the country.

Pakistan set the Nov. 1 start date last month for the expulsion of all undocumented immigrants, including hundreds of thousands of Afghans. It cited security reasons, brushing off calls to reconsider from the United Nations, rights groups and Western embassies.

Some of those ordered to leave have spent decades in Pakistan.

"A process to arrest the foreigners... for deportation has started as of Nov.1," the interior ministry said in a statement, while adding that voluntary return would still be encouraged.

Within hours of the interior ministry statement, authorities had begun detaining and transferring what they said were undocumented foreigners to transit centres.

In the southern port city of Karachi, home to a large number of Afghan migrants and refugees, deputy commissioner Junaid Iqbal Khan said up to 74 people had so far been moved to one of the transit centres, up to 40 of them without any proper documents.

Reuters witnesses saw police bring some people in police vehicles. Inside the centre, authorities had set up tents to shelter those rounded up. Media were not allowed access inside.

Most of the Afghan nationals were brought to the centers in rickety busses, some of them handcuffed.

Some complained about mishandling by the authorities.

Jan Muhammad, 40, said his cousin was detained even though he had all the legal documents.

"I have shown up here with his original card," he told Reuters, saying the guards were now asking for another document. "We didn't bring that with us."

AFGHANS HEAD HOME

Of the voluntary returnees, around 104,000 Afghan nationals have left the country via the main Torkham border crossing in northwest Pakistan during the last two weeks.

"Some of them have been living in Pakistan for more than 30 years without any proof of registration," said Nasir Khan, the area deputy commissioner.

Another 35,000 Afghan nationals who didn't have legal documents to stay returned voluntarily by the Chaman border crossing in the southwestern province of Balochistan, provincial caretaker minister Jan Achakzai said. About 100 such Afghan nationals were arrested, he said.

Local media pictures showed long queues of busses heading to the Torkham crossing where thousands of people waited for clearance and would likely spend night in open as the crossing closes at 9pm.

Some of them said they had never been to Afghanistan, and wondered how would they start a new life there.

"We have never been to Afghanistan," Rizwan Khan, 25, told Reuters in Khyber tribal district before heading to the border. "We would be strangers to the people and they would be unknown to us. We do not have a house to live in in our native village," he said.

His grandfather had migrated from Afghanistan.

Of the more than 4 million Afghans living in Pakistan, the government estimates 1.7 million are undocumented.

Many fled Afghanistan during its decades of internal conflict since the late 1970s, while the Taliban takeover after the U.S. withdrawal in 2021 led to another exodus.

Pakistan has taken a hardline stance, saying Afghan nationals have been behind militant attacks, smuggling and other crimes in the South Asian nation.

Kabul has dismissed the accusations.

In the Afghan capital, the Taliban administration asked all countries hosting Afghan refugees to give them more time to prepare for repatriation.

"We call on them not to deport forcefully Afghans without preparation, rather give them enough time and countries should use tolerance," it said in a social media posting on Afghans in Pakistan and elsewhere.

It assured Afghans leaving over political concerns that they could return and live peacefully in Afghanistan. (Reuters)

VOINews, Jakarta - The Indonesian government, with several humanitarian agencies, is ready to send humanitarian assistance for Gaza Strip's residents affected by the latest conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group, Hamas.

"This is in line with President Joko Widodo's order to Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi to coordinate the delivery of aid to Gaza, both from the government and from the community," spokesperson of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Lalu Muhamad Iqbal, stated in a press conference on Wednesday.

Iqbal remarked that the humanitarian aid will comprise goods needed by the Palestinian people and will be delivered at the end of this week. The details of the aid delivery are still being discussed between the government and several organizations involved.

"This aid will be sent to Egypt first and handed over to the Egyptian Red Crescent, then distributed to Gaza by UNRWA. Egyptian Red Crescent is the only organization allowed to deliver aid into Gaza," Iqbal remarked.

The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) had also contributed to sending humanitarian aid comprising healthy kit, generators, and oxygen cylinders worth Rp2.9 billion to Gaza residents.

"Until now, we are still waiting for approval from the UN agency that can confirm what types of aid can enter Gaza," PMI officer Niniek Kun Naryatie remarked.

Meanwhile, the Indonesia Humanitarian Alliance (IHA) has collected support of up to Rp5 billion from the community that will be distributed in stages to Gaza.

In the first period, IHA will provide assistance in the form of ready-to-eat food, blankets, and mattresses. The delivery will be coordinated with the government this weekend.

The National Alms Agency (Baznas) was also able to collect public donations amounting to Rp10 billion and will continue to collect donations until reaching the target of Rp20 billion.

These funds were collected not only through Baznas representative offices spread across all provinces, districts, and cities in Indonesia but also from individual collection partners, including the Kitabisa platform, ayobantu.com, Shopee, Tokopedia, Bukalapak, and Blibli.

"It is our responsibility to ensure this aid delivery to Gaza. According to the aid items recommended by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we will send food, medicine, hygiene kits, clothes, and blankets," Baznas' Deputy for Distribution and Utilization, Imdadun Rahmat, stated.

Plans to send Indonesian humanitarian aid to Gaza are still being coordinated, especially by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance through the International Development Cooperation Fund (LDKPI), the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Health, Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI), and the National Police. (Antaranews)

VOInews, Jakarta: The Indonesian government continues to communicate with various parties to find out the latest situation in Gaza, Palestine and the process of evacuating Indonesian citizens (WNI) and humanitarian assistance.

"So from morning (Wednesday, November 1, 2023) we continue to communicate with various parties to find out the situation on the ground and how we can evacuate our citizens," Foreign Minister Retno said in a statement in Jakarta on Wednesday (1/11/2023).

Retno explained that the condition of Indonesian citizens in Gaza is in good condition in a situation where the conflict is still ongoing. The Indonesian government also continues to communicate with Indonesian citizens amidst network limitations.

"Good here does not mean good like us, sitting in this room. It's good in the midst of a very bad situation. We continue to make contact with them, and the contact is also on and off. Sometimes it's on, sometimes it's off because of the situation, so communication is not always smooth," Retno said.

By continuing to coordinate with many parties, Foreign Minister Retno said that the Indonesian government will evacuate the Indonesian citizens immediately.

"Today since early morning, we continue to make contact in the field to try to evacuate. Of course, we convey this information after we make contact with many parties. It is possible that the evacuation will be carried out today," she said.

By continuing to coordinate with many parties, Foreign Minister Retno said that the Indonesian government will evacuate the Indonesian citizens immediately.

"Today since early morning, we continue to make contact in the field to try to evacuate. Of course, we convey this information after we make contact with many parties. It is possible that the evacuation will be carried out today," he said.

Meanwhile, regarding humanitarian aid, the Indonesian government plans to send it to Gaza by the end of this week.

"And these goods that we send are in accordance with their requests or needs," explained the Indonesian Foreign Minister.

Foreign Minister Retno also explained that the humanitarian assistance sent not only came from the Indonesian government but also from humanitarian organizations in Indonesia.

"Therefore, I would like to express my gratitude to the ladies and gentlemen from humanitarian organizations in Indonesia who have been pleased to join us, showing a sense of humanitarian solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Gaza," she said.