Jakarta (AsiaNews) - A conference was held on 20 to 23 August in Jakarta, bringing together representatives of Indonesians living in the diaspora and their descendants. The Congress of the Indonesian diaspora (CID) met in central Jakarta, an event that has caught the attention of Indonesians from all walks of life, including political leaders like President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa.
The first conference was held last year in Los Angeles, from 6 to 8 July, thanks to the Indonesian Ambassador to the United States, Dino Pattidjalal. Over 2,000 people took part in the event, especially Indonesians living in North America.
For this reason, Indonesian leaders decided to broaden its scope, bringing Indonesians who made it abroad in the economic, financial and political fields, in places like South Africa, Madagascar, the European Union, Suriname and Central America, as well as countries further east such as Australia and New Zealand. The Foreign Ministry in Jakarta strongly backed the initiative, enhancing its "international" stature.
The conference's aim was to strengthen cooperation and unity among Indonesian expatriates so that they can contribute more to the development of their native land from their foreign place of residence, a goal shared by the Indonesian Diaspora Network, a powerful lobby group based in New York, in the United States.
In his speech, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa expressed his appreciation for the CID's work. At the same time, he denied speculation that the organisation was engaged in political activity overseas.
Many Indonesians have left their country of origin for work or study. Most of them have travelled to other Muslim nations like neighbouring Malaysia (2.5 million Indonesians) and Saudi Arabia (1.5 million). However, Indonesians are also found in great numbers in the Netherlands (over 400,000), Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, USA and Australia.
