Japan’s ambassador to Indonesia, Ishii Masafumi, has released a statement urging Indonesians not to enforce false stereotypes linking Japanese people and COVID-19, which has allegedly led to discrimination of Japanese nationals in Indonesia.
In a video posted on his official Instagram account yesterday, Masafumi said he had received word that Japanese people residing in Indonesia had become victims of discrimination in the country.
“I deeply regret hearing that Japanese nationals, including children, who live in Indonesia have been receiving inappropriate treatment and discrimination related to the coronavirus,” he said.
“Japanese citizens living in Indonesia are not the source of the virus’ spread; we are friends of Indonesia.”
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Further, as a testament to the cooperation between Japan and Indonesia, Masafumi announced that six of nine Indonesian crew members who were infected with the coronavirus aboard the virus-stricken Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama have recovered from the disease and were allowed to go home following treatment in hospitals in Japan.
“The coronavirus issue is a common problem. Let us face it together. Gotong royong,” Masafumi said, using the Indonesian phrase meaning mutual cooperation.
Masafumi did not provide specific examples of Japanese nationals being discriminated against in Indonesia.
Indonesia’s first confirmed COVID-19 case, a 31-year-old female Depok resident, was said by the Health Ministry to have contracted the coronavirus following exposure to an infected Japanese national at a dance event in Jakarta in February. The Japanese national left Indonesia soon after the event and tested positive for the coronavirus in Malaysia.
Indonesia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry backed Masafumi’s message, saying acts of discrimination when the world needs to work together to combat COVID-19 is “intolerable.”
