TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:Policy expert from the Migrant Care Indonesian Labor Association, Wahyu Susilo, deplores the attitude of the Indonesian Embassy in Syria. When employers of Indonesian migrant workers (TKI) requested contract extensions, the Embassy gave their permission despite the fact that the workers desperately were seeking to return to Indonesia. "Employers are allowed to extend contracts until December," said Wahyu when contacted by Tempo, Sunday, July 22, 2012. These workers desperately want to return home. Wahyu obtained this information from a short message texted by TKI in Syria using cellular phones. Wahyu says there are currently 12,000 workers in Syria. The majority of them want to go home because of the grave situation in the Middle East country. They texted Migrant Care to urge the Indonesian government to repatriate them. Since February 2012 the government has 17 times processed the return of Indonesian citizens residing in Syria. As of July 18, 403 TKI have returned. In the Indonesian Embassy shelters in Damascus, efforts are being made to return approximately 187. At Aleppo shelter are 19 Indonesias. The Government has set up three shelters: Damascus, Aleppo and Latakia. The Syrian conflict has lasted for more than a year. The rebels are demanding President Bashar al-Assad to step down after being in power for nearly 12 years. The Assad government is deemed to be fraught with corruption and nepotism. Assad’s opponents were inspired by spring revolution in spring by Arabs in Tunisia and Egypt. SUNDARI