TheJakartaPost
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Issue of the day: RI visa waiver on the cards: Envoy
Nov
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strong>Nov. 20, p11
Indonesian diplomats and civil servants are likely to enjoy Schengen visa waivers soon, as all stakeholders are working to finalize the necessary agreement, according to a Belgian envoy.
Belgian Ambassador to Indonesia Patrick Herman said he was confident an agreement on the visa waiver would be reached in the coming weeks.
The agreement would be reciprocal, since Indonesia recently issued a visa-free status for citizens of all Schengen member countries to visit Indonesia. 'It's almost there. The agreement will be a stepping stone toward further liberalization,' Herman said recently.
Your comments:
It is interesting that diplomats will be the first to 'enjoy' this service.
Deddy K.
Make it quick so my passport will be more flexible for travel! Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland is still on my list! Minister Retno LP Marsudi, do you get that?
Simba1991
The reason that we don't see articles re 'No free VOA visa's for Australians' is because the leadership and the chain of command is totally corrupt. The police and immigration would riot if their corruption money was stopped. There are token prosecutions against these corrupt officials, but they don't even scratch the surface. Also, saving face is an Indonesian pastime, when you dish out free visas to countries like Chile, Peru, South Africa, Ecuador, Mexico, etc. (citizens of countries Indonesians are very unlikely to visit) something is very suspect when Aussies are excluded.
Joko's comments that they are excluded because they do not give 'free visas' to us is totally wrong. Just look at the list of countries who do not give Indonesians free visas, but whose citizens are given free visas on arrival in Indonesia. Australia is the third highest country in terms of visitor arrivals in Indo with 12 percent of total visitors after, you guessed it: Malaysia and Singapore. It's all a case of sour grapes and the saving face syndrome that has bugged this mob who cannot see past their own nose!
Goneasia
Waiving visas for diplomats and officials is just the first step, getting visa waivers for all citizens will not be seen for a couple of years at least.
Tronas
Visa waivers for diplomats and officials was already in place. Indonesian officials/service passport holders can go to Schengen countries without a visa. I thought the visa waiver agreement was for Indonesian ordinary passport holders? But why did The Jakarta Post write 'Indonesian diplomats and servicemen'?
N. Nugie
Given the current sabre rattling of France after the latest atrocities, the whole status of the Schengen agreement is under scrutiny by various EU members, some of which want out.
Retno and others might also like to explain the reason why Australians are still excluded from the free VOA. More than a million go to Bali every year. Even North Koreans can enter (diplomats and officials ' no tourists, of course).
Johnny Cool
It was in the aftermath of the executions that this visa free policy was announced. And out of spite Indonesia did not include Australia in this policy. To teach them another lesson.
Sorong
Take note that reciprocal bribes will not be demanded by Schengen country immigration officials.
Bohong-Bohong
Indonesia and its citizens should not be blamed for terrorist activities happening in numerous regions in the world. Indonesia may represent a significant portion of the total number of Muslims in the world, but not all Muslims are terrorists, and certainly not those from Indonesia.
As far as I know, the people of this beautiful country are known worldwide for their friendliness. The beautiful people of Indonesia are family-oriented like the citizens of most Asian countries. From east to west, Indonesia is one of the most diverse countries with hundreds of ethnicities and languages, and being respectful to people of different upbringings is taught and instilled in Indonesians from a tender age.
This year, Indonesia has opened the door for foreigners of many countries (and to all EU nations) to experience and observe Indonesia up-close and that's reason enough to show the real Indonesia. This should be reason enough for reciprocity.
I honestly applaud Mrs. Retno Marsudi and her hard-working team for their long battle to liberate Indonesians from travel restrictions. Traveling is one of the best ways to experience new things and inspire people. Interactions with people from different cultures can lead to more developments and the experience itself is surely life changing.
I'm optimistic, I have to be, that Indonesians will be granted more travel freedom in the near future, from the world and from the Schengen bloc most definitely.
Eka Lee
I have no problems with Indonesians traveling. I wish more could just have the idea that much of the world is not what they are taught it is. One problem I see that the waived visa policy is only being for diplomats and service personnel. If you want to call it reciprocal, then it should be tit for tat. If you are offering the service to all their travelers irrespective of their position, they should offer the same in return.
The other concern is what if Indonesia really wants to allow all those from the EU in? Look at the latest news. While the article states that Belgium is a major supporter of reciprocity, they are also hotbed of militant activity. Perhaps Indonesia was a bit quick in choosing which countries would be granted visa-free status. It seems to have been implemented without thought.
Simaging
