ID :
20115
Thu, 09/18/2008 - 23:14
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/20115
The shortlink copeid
RI, A'LIA AGREE FIVE AUSTRALIANS' ILLEGAL ENTRY NO SERIOUS PROBLEM
Jakarta, Sept 18 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian and Australian governments agree that the five Australians who entered Papua on Friday (Sept 12) without legal documents had no intentions linked to politics or intelligence gathering, an Indonesian minister said.
"They meant no harm and only wanted to visit Papua as tourists," Indonesian Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said here Thursday after a meeting with his Australian countepart, Joel Fitzgoibbon.
Sudarsono said the incident was purely an illegal flight case. There was no conspiracy to intrude into Indonesian territory for spying activity.
"The case is now being handled by the immigration service and the ministry of foreign affairs," he said.
Meanwhile, Fitzgoibbon stated there was no tendency to disturb Indonesian security. "What these people had wanted to do was to visit tourism sites in Papua, they only wanted to explore more," he said adding the Australian government would investigate the case further.
The Australian foreign affairs ministry had confirmed that the five Australians had entered Papuan land and air space without proper documents such as flight approval and security clearance.
The Indonesian and Australian defense ministers agreed that such a small incident would not disturb the military and defense cooperation between the two countries.
The five Australians - three men and two women - had landed in a small aircraft at Mopah airport in Merauke district, Papua province, last Friday morning.
They were identified as William Henry Scott (pilot), Vera Scott Bloxam (copilot) and Hubert Hofer, Karen Burke and Keith Mortimer (passengers).***
"They meant no harm and only wanted to visit Papua as tourists," Indonesian Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said here Thursday after a meeting with his Australian countepart, Joel Fitzgoibbon.
Sudarsono said the incident was purely an illegal flight case. There was no conspiracy to intrude into Indonesian territory for spying activity.
"The case is now being handled by the immigration service and the ministry of foreign affairs," he said.
Meanwhile, Fitzgoibbon stated there was no tendency to disturb Indonesian security. "What these people had wanted to do was to visit tourism sites in Papua, they only wanted to explore more," he said adding the Australian government would investigate the case further.
The Australian foreign affairs ministry had confirmed that the five Australians had entered Papuan land and air space without proper documents such as flight approval and security clearance.
The Indonesian and Australian defense ministers agreed that such a small incident would not disturb the military and defense cooperation between the two countries.
The five Australians - three men and two women - had landed in a small aircraft at Mopah airport in Merauke district, Papua province, last Friday morning.
They were identified as William Henry Scott (pilot), Vera Scott Bloxam (copilot) and Hubert Hofer, Karen Burke and Keith Mortimer (passengers).***
