Indonesia drafts evacuation plan for foreign workers in Taiwan

350,000 overseas Indonesians currently live in country, plan addresses Taiwan Strait tensions

By Sean Scanlan, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

2023/04/17 17:02

Indonesia drafting evacuation plan for foreign laborers in Taiwan. (CNA photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) —The Indonesian government is drafting a plan to evacuate 350,000 foreign workers from Taiwan should cross-strait tensions escalate.

According to PTS, Indonesia’s Kompas newspaper reported, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Protection of Indonesian Citizens Director Judha Nugraha is closely monitoring the situation and working with Indonesia’s representative office in Taiwan to formulate a contingency plan.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it's aware that Indonesia is formulating such a plan. However, it is still researching the matter and will issue a formal response at a later date.

According to Kompas, Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs cited China's military threat to Taiwan as the main impetus for the emergency evacuation plan, noting 350,000 overseas Indonesians currently live in Taiwan.

The Kompas report also noted Taiwan is an island nation with only sea and air transportation available. China's recent military exercises include a blockade or encirclement of Taiwan, cutting off all sea and air traffic, which would make evacuation difficult.

Meanwhile, the response from Taiwan lawmakers and foreign labor groups has been more muted.

"People in Taiwan don’t feel this tension as it may be a case of a frog slowly boiling in warm water. While we don't feel it, in fact it’s not only Indonesia, but other countries are also drafting an evacuation plan," said KMT Legislator Chen Yu-jen (陳玉珍).

"I think this is just conjecture and talk. None of this is actually true. There are a lot of false statements and fake news," said DPP Legislator Chen Ting-fei (陳亭妃).

Indonesian caregivers are one of the mainstays of Taiwan's long-term care program. Some observers believe an evacuation could seriously impact Taiwan's eldercare and healthcare systems.

“Caregivers and nurses workers support the deficiencies in our eldercare system. If they leave, everything will become very miserable," said Taiwan International Workers’ Association researcher, Wu Jing-ju(吳靜如).

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