UGM Professor Urges Indonesian Government to Expeditiously Evacuate Indonesian Migrant Workers from the Middle East
UGM Professor of Geopolitics in the Middle East, Siti Mutiah Setiawati, has urged the Indonesian government to prioritise steps to address concerns for Indonesian citizens currently in Gulf states. In the tense aftermath of the weekend’s US-Israel strikes on Iran, she said there are still many Indonesian nationals in Middle Eastern countries. ‘There is something we need to think more about; the very immediate matter is to save Indonesians there,’ she said at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in Sleman, the Yogyakarta Special Region, on Thursday (5 March).
’S iti Mutiah Setiawati noted Gulf states such as Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, including Iran, are regions with a high concentration of Indonesian migrant workers. According to the UGM lecturer, when part of the task force monitoring migrant workers, she recorded at least three million Indonesian workers (unskilled labour) in the Gulf region five years ago. That figure did not include skilled personnel.
She said the husband of one of her students currently works in Iran and has himself experienced the harrowing war situation. She claimed she had even tried to reach the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemenlu) to evacuate these Indonesian citizens. ‘The Foreign Ministry told us yesterday, ’Madam, we have actually done it but we have not announced it.’ I dont know how I would know if it isnt announced. Indonesian citizens are prepared to be evacuated, but they say they prefer to stay in the Middle East, according to the Ministry,’ she said. ‘So there are many who do not want us to evacuate, but there is an evacuation program,’ she added.
Siti stressed that the Indonesian government must consider a plan to safeguard its citizens, particularly as several airlines are restricting or suspending commercial flights due to rising regional tensions. The Gulf region has long been a crucial hub for global air travel. Major Gulf-based airlines—Qatar Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Gulf Air, and Saudia—are key transit routes for Indonesians heading to various destinations around the world.
The potential fallout from attacks on the Gulf region could leave Indonesian migrant workers facing difficulties obtaining outbound flights, should security deteriorate. ‘So many would be stranded at airports — that is what concerns me most,’ she added.
‘Rather than insisting on becoming a mediator, Siti argued that the Indonesian government should treat the evacuation of Indonesian citizens in Gulf states as an urgent matter rather than focusing on becoming a mediator for the US-Israel and Iran conflict. She contended that Indonesia has little chance of realistically acting as a mediator in the clash between the United States, Israel, and Iran. The primary criterion for mediation is neutrality and acceptance by all parties; in this conflict, she argued, Indonesia cannot meet both conditions. ’If we want to be a mediator, I would first boldly propose that we become one. The first requirement to be a mediator is neutrality. Yet we are already on the Board of Peace (BOP) where there are the United States and Israel. We have already aligned with one side, and Iran would not accept us; that is the first condition,’ she said.
She added that beyond neutrality, a mediator must be accepted by both sides. It could be that the US and Israel would accept RI, but not Iran.
Siti emphasised that these assessments are not intended to demean Indonesia’s standing in the international arena but to reflect geopolitics objectively. ‘This is an objective calculation, not to belittle the country. We are in the orbit of the world; we are a third-world country, and we must recognise that,’ she said. She also cited mediation efforts by another state with closer ties to Iran that nonetheless failed: Oman. Oman, according to Siti, is a country with substantial wealth and sizeable Shia communities, and Iran would be receptive to it. ‘During negotiations, the Oman Foreign Minister went to the United States, and to Iran as well. Amid negotiations, the United States attacked Iran. Then he was taken aback; how could there be an attack during negotiations? Oman, in fact, failed as a mediator,’ she said.
She also referred to the experience of the Iran nuclear deal, the JCPOA, mediated by major powers. ‘That was an agreement between the European Union, Germany, and the United States to talk with Iran to curb its uranium enrichment. In the middle of negotiations, the United States withdrew,’ she explained. ‘In that case, who mediated? The European Union and Germany tried to broker it, plus Turkey. The mediating role that could have worked did not. The European Union, acting as mediator, failed,’ she added.
Therefore, she judged Indonesia’s idea of becoming a mediator in the current conflict as unrealistic. She argued the government should concentrate on more concrete steps in responding to the evolving situation in the Middle East. (gil)