President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo speaks to reporters at the end of the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, on May 11, 2023. (POOL/Antara Photo/
Rivan Awal Lingga)

JakartaGlobe-May 11, 2023

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has called for ASEAN to combat human trafficking amidst cases of many Indonesians falling prey to online job scams and getting sent to other Southeast Asian countries to work as cyber scammers. This rampant problem of human trafficking across the region has also caught the attention of other ASEAN leaders at the bloc’s summit in the fishing town of Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara. “I call on ASEAN countries to take firm action against the main perpetrators,” Jokowi said told ASEAN leaders at it 42nd summit.  The declaration came at a time when Indonesia is seeing countless of its citizens trapped in human trafficking rings in other ASEAN countries.  The Philippines authorities last week rescued 1,048 people of different nationalities from an alleged human trafficking ring at the Clark Sun Valley Hub Corporation. According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s initial reports, there were 143 Indonesian victims saved in the operations. Read more at: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/lets-fight-human-trafficking-jokowi-tells-asean