TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia and a number of Southeast Asian countries have evacuated citizens from Libya as the situation in the country worsened. "About 34 Indonesian citizens, including 16 students and 18 workers, had been sent home through Tunisia," Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa told Tempo yesterday.
The 34 citizens have arrived at the Indonesian Embassy in Tunis, Tunisia, Wednesday to depart home. Marty said further repatriations were to be conducted after evaluating the situations.
There were probably more than 186 people living in Libya, Marty added. To date, no plans have been made to evacuate the Indonesian Ambassador and staff from Tripoli.
A number of ASEAN countries including Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines had sent their embassy staff and citizens back home. Vietnamese Embassy is planning on repatriating more than 1,550 citizens currently living in Libya.
Thai Foreign Ministry Permanent Secretary Sihasak Phuangketkeow said the government of Thailand is preparing commercial flights for about 1,500 citizens leaving from Libya through Tunisia. The Philippines is also preparing to evacuate 13,000 citizens from Libya following reports about decapitation of a Filipino worker and gang rape of a Filipina nurse.
VNA | INQUIRER | THANHNIENNEWS | NATALIA SANTI
