Jakarta urges Moscow to halt military recruitment of Indonesians

..Indonesia was particularly concerned about recruitment practices that could constitute human trafficking.

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia urged Russia to halt all practices of recruiting Indonesian nationals as Russian military personnel following the reported death of an Indonesian who fought for Russia in Ukraine.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang confirmed that the request has been officially conveyed by Jakarta to Moscow through diplomatic channels.

"The Indonesian government asked the Russian government to take all necessary steps to ensure that no Indonesians will be recruited into the Russian military or any other military-related position in Russia through any avenues," Mewengkang told ANTARA on Sunday.

She added that Indonesia was particularly concerned about recruitment practices that could constitute human trafficking.

Mewengkang said Jakarta had also asked Moscow to include Indonesia on the list of countries exempted from any official recruitment of foreign nationals into the Russian military. Indonesia expects the request to be implemented effectively and immediately, she stressed.

Regarding reports of an Indonesian national who fought for Russian forces in Ukraine, Mewengkang said the Indonesian Embassy in Moscow was verifying the information.

"The Indonesian Embassy in Moscow is examining and verifying the report, including the individual's identity and status," she said, urging the public not to speculate before official information becomes available.

She also urged Indonesians to exercise caution when considering overseas job offers. They should verify job advertisements through official channels, be wary of unusually attractive salary and benefit offers, and avoid signing contracts they do not understand.

Reports of the death of an Indonesian national serving with the Russian military were disclosed by Ukraine's Defence Intelligence (HUR) in a social media post on October 27.

HUR identified the individual by the initials MT, saying he was born in 1978 and had worked as a taxi driver in Jakarta. According to the agency, he was recruited into the Russian military for a one-year term but was killed just one week after being deployed to the front line in Ukraine.

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Translator: Nabil Ihsan
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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