Embassy calls for action after alleged airport rape

The Chinese embassy in Indonesia urged local authorities on Sunday to thoroughly investigate a recent high-profile rape case involving a Chinese woman and two Indonesian airport security officers.

The head of the consular section of the Chinese embassy in Indonesia said they are deeply concerned and expressed strong indignation about the case.

"The Chinese embassy has been paying a lot of attention to the ... case, and has lodged solemn representations with the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the police and the airport authority. The Chinese embassy has demanded that the Indonesian side fully investigate this case, bring the criminals to justice and take effective measures to ensure the safety and security of Chinese citizens in Indonesia," the statement said.

A 26-year-old Chinese woman has accused two security officers from Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport of drugging and raping her in a nearby hotel.

Local media reported that the woman was found weeping at the airport's Terminal 1 on Dec 23.

She reported to local police that she arrived late at the airport on Dec 20, and due to her inability to speak English or Indonesian, she used body language to ask the security guards where she could take a nap nearby.

After being drugged and losing consciousness, she was taken to a nearby hotel, raped and held there for the next two days.

The woman has since returned to China, though Indonesian police requested she stay to assist the investigation.

According to the Indonesian embassy in Beijing, the two security officers were suspended from their duties.

"It is an isolated case," said Santo Darmosumarto, head of social and cultural affairs at the Embassy of Indonesia in Beijing, adding that Indonesian police quickly apprehended the suspects and the government will ensure that the case go through proper legal procedures.

Darmosumarto believed that the incident won't hurt the country's tourism industry.

"The whole country, not only the government but also Indonesian people, are very ashamed and shocked. We felt very sorry for the woman who had to go through all of this," he said.

"Justice will be served," he said.

Figures from the National Tourism Administration show that China has become the largest source of international tourists in recent years and safety abroad has become a concern. Chinese consulates and embassies handled more than 40,000 protection cases in 2013, with more than 120 being high-profile cases.