Latest news with #Nugraha
Gulf Insider
21-03-2025
- Gulf Insider
Six Indonesian Pilgrims Killed In Bus Crash In Saudi Arabia
Six Indonesian citizens were killed and 14 others injured in a tragic bus accident during an Umrah pilgrimage on the highway between Medina and Mecca in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Friday. The accident occurred on Thursday, March 20, in Wadi Al Aqeeq, approximately 150 km north of Jeddah, according to Judha Nugraha, Director for the Protection of Indonesian Citizens and Legal Entities (PWNI & BHI) at the ministry. The Indonesian Consulate General in Jeddah (KJRI) received the report at 1:30 p.m. local time. 'The total number of Indonesian nationals involved in the accident is 20, with six fatalities and the remainder sustaining injuries,' Nugraha said in a statement. Preliminary reports indicate the bus overturned and caught fire after a collision, though further investigation is ongoing. The vehicle was carrying Umrah pilgrims and their entourage at the time of the incident. In response, the Indonesian Consulate General immediately dispatched a citizen protection team to the site and coordinated with Saudi authorities and other relevant parties to identify the victims and facilitate necessary assistance. Officials have reached out to local hospitals, Umrah tour guides, the Ministry of Hajj, Umrah service staff, and the bus company to verify the condition of the victims and offer support. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also coordinating with Indonesia's Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Umrah travel agency involved to obtain comprehensive data on the victims and contact their families. 'We have notified the families of the victims in Indonesia and will continue to assist those injured in Saudi Arabia throughout their recovery,' Nugraha added.
Arab News
06-03-2025
- Arab News
Indonesian city glows with lanterns for Ramadan festival of light
JAKARTA: The streets of Solo, a historic royal capital on the Indonesian island of Java, have lit up with colorful installations for a festival of light that will run until the end of Ramadan. Also known as Surakarta, the city known for its traditional Javanese culture and history was once the capital of the Mataram Sultanate — the last major independent Islamic kingdom in Java before it was colonized by the Dutch. The Ramadan Light Festival is held around the Surakarta City Hall and along one of the city's main streets. The lights were first lit on March 1, marking the first day of the fasting month in Indonesia. It is accompanied with a market for food and local products, which are offered for sale after sundown until the end of Ramadan. 'We organized this Ramadan Light Festival to honor and celebrate the month of Ramadan by installing decorations and lights along the city's main street,' Aloisius Satmaka Nugraha, who heads the tourism and creative economy development department in the city, told Arab News on Thursday. 'We hope that this would give some variety to the people of Surakarta.' Since it was inaugurated in 2022, the annual festival of lights has been a center of attraction for residents of the city during Ramadan, many of whom take to social media to share photos of the vibrant and colorful installations. 'We also hold such events regularly to echo the spirit of tolerance among the residents of Surakarta … This event is part and parcel to other religious celebrations in the city,' Nugraha said. Surakarta holds regular events in celebration of Indonesia's ethnic and religious diversity, including during Lunar New Year last month. Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim-majority country, with about 87 percent of its 270 million population professing Islam. But the country officially recognizes five other religions: Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism. The archipelago nation is also home to hundreds of distinct ethnic groups, with some estimates putting the number at about 1,300.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Yahoo
84 Indonesians freed from scam centers in Myanmar arrive home
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Eighty-four Indonesians freed from scam centers in Myanmar arrived in Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, late Friday, part of a massive repatriation movement that is straining regional resources. They were among more than 7,000 people being held in the Myanmar border town Myawaddy following a crackdown on the scam centers by Thailand, Myanmar and China. Two buses carrying the Indonesians arrived Thursday in the Thai border city of Mae Sot, where the passengers had health checks, and their identities were verified. The 84 Indonesians, which included 69 men and 15 women, were brought home on three commercial flights Friday. The first flight, carrying 38 evacuees, arrived at 8:05 p.m. local time. The evacuees, many wearing dark hoodies, red scarves, and face masks, declined to comment to the media following a briefing by Indonesian authorities. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. They were escorted through a crush of reporters outside an arrival terminal at Soekarno-Hatta international airport into a waiting bus. 'They were healthy,' said Judha Nugraha, the foreign affairs ministry's director for citizen Protection, who, along with Indonesian diplomats in Yangon and Bangkok had been in Mae Sot since Feb. 23 to coordinate with various parties in Thailand and Myanmar. 'This is a long repatriation process carried out by the Indonesian government in collaboration with authorities in Thailand and Myanmar,' Nugraha told reporters at the airport. He added that the government continues to communicate with Thai and Myanmar authorities to facilitate the return of more than 360 Indonesians who were stranded in Myanmar after leaving the scam centers. It was not immediately clear why only 84 were being repatriated. Hundreds of thousands of people are believed to have been lured to work in Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, where they are forced to perpetrate global scams involving false romances, fraudulent investments, and illegal gambling. Many of the workers were recruited under false pretenses, only to find themselves trapped in virtual slavery. Indonesia's foreign affairs ministry said that approximately 6,800 Indonesians have fallen victim to illegal job scams in Myanmar and several other countries over the past few years. The crackdown on the scam centers followed a meeting in Beijing in early February between Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Chinese leader Xi Jinping where she said Thailand would crack down on the scam networks. Thailand has cut off electricity, internet and gas supplies to several areas in Myanmar hosting scam centers along the border. More than 600 Chinese nationals were repatriated last week. Earlier, some 260 people from 20 countries, including Ethiopia, Brazil and the Philippines, crossed from Myanmar into Thai custody. Many have returned home but more than 100 remain in Thailand awaiting repatriation, Thai officials said. 'This case is a valuable lesson for people to be careful in looking for work abroad,' Nugraha said, 'We call on all Indonesian citizens to find jobs overseas in the right way, legally and according to existing procedures, for the sake of their safety in obtaining the welfare as expected. ___ Associated Press writer Jintamas Saksornchai in Bangkok, contributed to this report.
The Independent
28-02-2025
- The Independent
84 Indonesians freed from scam centers in Myanmar arrive home
Eighty-four Indonesians freed from scam centers in Myanmar arrived in Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, late Friday, part of a massive repatriation movement that is straining regional resources. They were among more than 7,000 people being held in the Myanmar border town Myawaddy following a crackdown on the scam centers by Thailand, Myanmar and China. Two buses carrying the Indonesians arrived Thursday in the Thai border city of Mae Sot, where the passengers had health checks, and their identities were verified. The 84 Indonesians, which included 69 men and 15 women, were brought home on three commercial flights Friday. The first flight, carrying 38 evacuees, arrived at 8:05 p.m. local time. The evacuees, many wearing dark hoodies, red scarves, and face masks, declined to comment to the media following a briefing by Indonesian authorities. They were escorted through a crush of reporters outside an arrival terminal at Soekarno-Hatta international airport into a waiting bus. 'They were healthy,' said Judha Nugraha, the foreign affairs ministry's director for citizen Protection, who, along with Indonesian diplomats in Yangon and Bangkok had been in Mae Sot since Feb. 23 to coordinate with various parties in Thailand and Myanmar. 'This is a long repatriation process carried out by the Indonesian government in collaboration with authorities in Thailand and Myanmar,' Nugraha told reporters at the airport. He added that the government continues to communicate with Thai and Myanmar authorities to facilitate the return of more than 360 Indonesians who were stranded in Myanmar after leaving the scam centers. It was not immediately clear why only 84 were being repatriated. Hundreds of thousands of people are believed to have been lured to work in Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, where they are forced to perpetrate global scams involving false romances, fraudulent investments, and illegal gambling. Many of the workers were recruited under false pretenses, only to find themselves trapped in virtual slavery. Indonesia's foreign affairs ministry said that approximately 6,800 Indonesians have fallen victim to illegal job scams in Myanmar and several other countries over the past few years. The crackdown on the scam centers followed a meeting in Beijing in early February between Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Chinese leader Xi Jinping where she said Thailand would crack down on the scam networks. Thailand has cut off electricity, internet and gas supplies to several areas in Myanmar hosting scam centers along the border. More than 600 Chinese nationals were repatriated last week. Earlier, some 260 people from 20 countries, including Ethiopia, Brazil and the Philippines, crossed from Myanmar into Thai custody. Many have returned home but more than 100 remain in Thailand awaiting repatriation, Thai officials said. 'This case is a valuable lesson for people to be careful in looking for work abroad,' Nugraha said, 'We call on all Indonesian citizens to find jobs overseas in the right way, legally and according to existing procedures, for the sake of their safety in obtaining the welfare as expected. ___
Associated Press
28-02-2025
- Associated Press
84 Indonesians freed from scam centers in Myanmar arrive home
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Eighty-four Indonesians freed from scam centers in Myanmar arrived in Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, late Friday, part of a massive repatriation movement that is straining regional resources. They were among more than 7,000 people being held in the Myanmar border town Myawaddy following a crackdown on the scam centers by Thailand, Myanmar and China. Two buses carrying the Indonesians arrived Thursday in the Thai border city of Mae Sot, where the passengers had health checks, and their identities were verified. The 84 Indonesians, which included 69 men and 15 women, were brought home on three commercial flights Friday. The first flight, carrying 38 evacuees, arrived at 8:05 p.m. local time. The evacuees, many wearing dark hoodies, red scarves, and face masks, declined to comment to the media following a briefing by Indonesian authorities. They were escorted through a crush of reporters outside an arrival terminal at Soekarno-Hatta international airport into a waiting bus. 'They were healthy,' said Judha Nugraha, the foreign affairs ministry's director for citizen Protection, who, along with Indonesian diplomats in Yangon and Bangkok had been in Mae Sot since Feb. 23 to coordinate with various parties in Thailand and Myanmar. 'This is a long repatriation process carried out by the Indonesian government in collaboration with authorities in Thailand and Myanmar,' Nugraha told reporters at the airport. He added that the government continues to communicate with Thai and Myanmar authorities to facilitate the return of more than 360 Indonesians who were stranded in Myanmar after leaving the scam centers. It was not immediately clear why only 84 were being repatriated. Hundreds of thousands of people are believed to have been lured to work in Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, where they are forced to perpetrate global scams involving false romances, fraudulent investments, and illegal gambling. Many of the workers were recruited under false pretenses, only to find themselves trapped in virtual slavery. Indonesia's foreign affairs ministry said that approximately 6,800 Indonesians have fallen victim to illegal job scams in Myanmar and several other countries over the past few years. The crackdown on the scam centers followed a meeting in Beijing in early February between Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Chinese leader Xi Jinping where she said Thailand would crack down on the scam networks. Thailand has cut off electricity, internet and gas supplies to several areas in Myanmar hosting scam centers along the border. More than 600 Chinese nationals were repatriated last week. Earlier, some 260 people from 20 countries, including Ethiopia, Brazil and the Philippines, crossed from Myanmar into Thai custody. Many have returned home but more than 100 remain in Thailand awaiting repatriation, Thai officials said. 'This case is a valuable lesson for people to be careful in looking for work abroad,' Nugraha said, 'We call on all Indonesian citizens to find jobs overseas in the right way, legally and according to existing procedures, for the sake of their safety in obtaining the welfare as expected. ___
