By Jakarta Globe on 03:42 pm Aug 14, 2015
http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/tni-sets-up-guard-post-in-bordering-village-in-papua-after-png-soldiers-reportedly-ordered-residents-to-lower-indonesian-flag/
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A motorcycle taxi driver from Merauke takes goods over the border to Papua New Guinea. (Antara Photo/Akbar Nugroho Gumay)
Jakarta. The Indonesian Military, or TNI, says it will set up a security post in the Papuan border village of Yakyu, in Merauke district, following a report that soldiers from neighboring Papua New Guinea last week ordered residents there to lower the Indonesian flag.
Brig. Gen. Supartodi, the Merauke military commander, said on Friday that the group of 14 uniformed PNG soldiers reportedly entered the village on Aug. 7.
Yakyu is located 1.2 kilometers from the Indonesia-PNG border.
“In response to this [alleged] incident, we have decided to build a [security] post in Yakyu village,” Supartodi said as quoted by Antara.
Col. Mohammad Syafei Kasno, of the Cendrawasih Military Command, which oversees the TNI’s operations in Papua, said separately that 10 soldiers had been deployed to the village.
The alleged incident was first reported on Thursday by Suzana Wanggai, the head of the provincial border office, who said that the PNG soldiers had claimed Yakyu village as part of PNG territory.
She noted that while the village lay squarely in Indonesian territory, its residents were from the Mayna clan of the Kanum tribe, who moved to the area in the 1990s from neighboring Weyam village in PNG.
“The people obtained Indonesian identity cards from Merauke district last month,” Suzana said as quoted by Tempo.
Syafei claimed that PNG officials had argued the village was on neutral ground and should hoist the flags of both countries.
However, Col. Mark Goina of the PNG Defense Force told ABC’s Pacific Beat radio program that no such incident had ever taken place.
“We have not received any information around PNGDF troops going to Merauke to conduct any form of activity or operation, and therefore we categorically deny any involvement of our service men and women and that information is not true,” he said.
“I confirm there is no Papua New Guinean soldiers in or near Merauke, they are all stationed outside of the border doing their normal border duties.”
Still, he could not say for sure whether Yakyu village lay in Indonesian or PNG territory. “At this point in time I need to confirm that, we need to confirm that on a map.”