JAKARTA – Muslim-majority Indonesia today banned an annual exodus that sees millions travel across the vast nation to mark the end of Ramadan over fears of a surge in Covid-19 infections.
Travellers pack into airports, train stations and ports across the nearly 5,000km-long archipelago in a mass migration known as Mudik that is similar to China’s Lunar New Year holiday or Christmas.
Many head to hometowns in time for celebrations at the end of Islam’s holy fasting month, a festival known as Aidilfitri.
Ramadan ends in mid-May this year.
Today, the government said it is banning the exodus as Indonesia – one of the worst-hit nations in Asia by Covid-19 – rolls out a massive inoculation campaign.
The country earlier announced an ambitious target to vaccinate more than 181 million of its nearly 270 million people within a year.
“There will be no Mudik in 2021,” said Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy in a statement, citing infection fears and inoculation efforts.
But, he said, some may get exemptions for “urgent travel”, but did not elaborate.
Fearing a public health disaster, the government last year slapped a ban on domestic sea and air travel, and set up roadblocks to stop the cross-country movement.
However, many took advantage of loopholes in the rules – as well as relied on human smugglers and bogus travel documents – to get around the ban.
Indonesia has reported nearly 1.5 million coronavirus infections and more than 40,000 deaths.
But, low testing rates mean the crisis is believed to be much more severe. – AFP, March 26, 2021
