Indonesian gov’t urges citizens to temporarily postpone travel to Hong Kong due to protests

Tensions surrounding the ongoing protests against the government in Hong Kong have escalated dramatically recently due to protesters effectively shutting down the city’s airport the last two days, leading to the mass cancellation of flights and increasingly violent clashes with law enforcement.

In light of the situation, Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu) has issued a statement urging all Indonesian citizens who are planning to travel to Hong Kong to temporarily postpone their trips due to security concerns.

Here is a translation of the full statement, which can be found on Kemlu’s website:

“Taking into account the latest developments in Hong Kong, especially the sporadic demonstrations in various locations, including the Hong Kong International Airport, the Indonesian government appeals to citizens:

1. For those who plan to travel to Hong Kong, to pay close attention to the latest security developments, including through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ safe travel application.
2. For trips that are not urgent, they should be postponed until the situation is more conducive.
   
3. For those who live in the Hong Kong area, remain calm and alert, stay away from the locations of mass gatherings, do not become involved in local political activities, always follow the appeals of local authorities and monitor information on the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) Hong Kong’s Facebook page (fb.com/kjrihk).
4. In an emergency, the KJRI Hong Kong hotline can be contacted via Whatsapp +852 6894 2799  / +852 6773 0466 / +852 5294 4184 or through the Emergency Button on the Republic of Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry Safe Travel application.

The protests in Hong Kong began about two months ago over a controversial extradition bill that would allow criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China but have since expanded to more general demands for democratic reforms and calls for justice over the increasingly brutal response to the protests by the Hong Kong Police. As Chinese military forces amass near the border, there are increasing concerns that Beijing may order a military crackdown on protesters.

For the latest developments on the situation in Hong Kong, we suggest you follow our sister site Coconuts Hong Kong and its Twitter account @CoconutsHK.