Indonesian Embassy Strives To Repatriate Citizens In Yemen

Depok, W Java, March 30 (Antara) - The Indonesian Embassy in Sana'a is working hard to repatriate the citizens who were detained in Yemen due to the worsening security situation in the region, Vice President Jusuf Kalla said. "They will be sent home if the security situation worsens. The embassy is working hard to ensure that," he added here on Monday. As reported on Sunday, March 29, night local time, more than 20 Indonesian citizens were detained by Yemeni authorities because of immigration issues. Director of Legal Aid and Protection of Indonesian Citizens-Foreign Ministry Home Affairs, Muhammad Iqbal has confirmed the information. "More than 20 Indonesian citizens were detained in Yemen due to immigration issues. They were arrested by local authorities, not by the Huthi Shiite rebels," Iqbal affirmed. The civil war in Yemen has escalated, with the battle against Houthi Shiite militias, who had staged a coup against the government of Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, growing worse. Earlier, Ahmad Zainuddin, a member of Commission I of the House of Representatives (DPR), had appealed to the Indonesian government to save the lives of its 23 citizens who were reportedly arrested in Yemen. "I heard from the Indonesian Embassy in Yemen that 23 Indonesians had been arrested by Huthi Shiite rebels in the country. If it is true, the government should ensure and make every effort to have them released immediately," Zainuddin stated here on Monday. He pointed out that the social, political and security situation in Yemen is very unstable, following the military attacks by Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Gulf, until this day. Zainuddin further noted that some two thousand Indonesians were still working and studying in Yemen. "Our embassy in Yemen has been evacuating people, and we hope that no Indonesian citizens become victims of the ongoing tensions," he remarked. The legislator expressed hope that the staff members of the embassy in Yemen are proactive in collecting data regarding Indonesian citizens and evacuating them.