Papua New Guineans in West Papua told to fly to Jakarta, Singapore, POM and then Vanimo if they want to return!
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Papua New Guineans in West Papua told to fly to Jakarta, Singapore, POM and then Vanimo if they want to return!
PORT MORESBY: There is no coronavirus infection yet in Papua New Guinea (PNG) or in Indonesia’s West Papua.
But apparently overzealous Papua New Guinea Home Affairs Ministry and immigration officers have closed the border gates in West Sepik’s Wutung, leaving locals and even envoys who want to return to Vanimo stranded.
This is despite the Cabinet decision to leave the international entry points open except for those coming from high risk places, especially China’s Wuhan, the epicentre of the new virus.
The officers told locals and envoys who wanted to return to Vanimo to fly to Jakarta (Indonesia’s capital), then to Singapore and then to Port Moresby where they will have to get medical clearance before flying back to Vanimo on domestic flights.
Simply costly and ridiculous, isn’t it?
Here’s the story as published by The National:
Stranded at border
By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK and REBECCA KUKUAN Indonesian diplomat and hundreds of PNG citizens are stranded on the Indonesia side of the border at Wutung, West Sepik after the immigration office gate was abruptly closed on Wednesday.
PNG consul Geoffrey Wiri based in Jayapura told The National yesterday that hundreds of people, including Indonesian consul Abraham Abelauw, were not allowed back into PNG by the immigration officers in Wutung.
“The Immigration officer in Wutung had shut the gate at the border last Wednesday and advised the consul not to enter PNG when he arrived at the border to return to his office in Vanimo,” Wiri said.
“I told the immigration officers at Wutung to let him in as he is a diplomat. But they won’t allow him in.”
PNG consul Geoffrey Wiri based in Jayapura told The National yesterday that hundreds of people, including Indonesian consul Abraham Abelauw, were not allowed back into PNG by the immigration officers in Wutung.
“The Immigration officer in Wutung had shut the gate at the border last Wednesday and advised the consul not to enter PNG when he arrived at the border to return to his office in Vanimo,” Wiri said.
“I told the immigration officers at Wutung to let him in as he is a diplomat. But they won’t allow him in.”
Immigration and Border Security Minister Westley Nukundj and West Sepik Governor Tony Wouwou issued instructions to shut the Wutung border office for an indefinite period because of the coronavirus threat.
Wiri said yesterday he had talked to the Foreign Affairs and Immigration officers in Port Moresby to let Abelauw and the stranded PNG citizens enter West Sepik.
“These villagers are traditional border crossers and some are returning home after receiving medical treatment in hospitals in Jayapura,” Wiri said.
“Some are school children returning to their schools in West Sepik.
Foreign Affairs and Immigration officers in Port Moresby have advised Abelauw and the PNG villagers stranded in Jayapura to catch a flight to Port Moresby, be checked by quarantine and health officers at Jackson International Airport, then travel to Vanimo.
It means Abelauw and the villagers will have to fly from Sentani airport in Jayapura to Jakarta, Singapore, then to Port Moresby.
Then after they are cleared, they will board a domestic flight to Vanimo.
It may take up to a week.
Wiri said the border management team in Vanimo planned to conduct awareness in West Sepik on the coronavirus.
“They should make allowances for these border crossers because the Indonesian’s border province of Papua is low-risk at the moment, according to information I got from the quarantine officers in Port Moresby.”
Wouwou insists that the Wutung border office is closed for travel and business until the travel ban is lifted based on advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
He said the border office did not have monitoring and testing facilities for such a medical emergency, urging the Government to upgrade the monitoring, surveillance and screening facilities and equipment.
Nukundj said all land borders was closed to everyone – except officials from WHO and the International Committee of Red Cross.
International flights are allowed in except those originating from Wuhan City.
“However, passengers coming in from affected countries must have a medical certificate clearing them of the coronavirus before they can board the plane,” he said.
“And passengers who have been to the Wuhan City in the past 40 days will have to be quarantined for 14 days if they are serious cases, or monitored for 14 days if they arrive with medical certification.
“This also applies to the students there, if they do come in we will have to quarantine them or closely monitor them for 14 days,” he said.
Wiri said yesterday he had talked to the Foreign Affairs and Immigration officers in Port Moresby to let Abelauw and the stranded PNG citizens enter West Sepik.
“These villagers are traditional border crossers and some are returning home after receiving medical treatment in hospitals in Jayapura,” Wiri said.
“Some are school children returning to their schools in West Sepik.
Foreign Affairs and Immigration officers in Port Moresby have advised Abelauw and the PNG villagers stranded in Jayapura to catch a flight to Port Moresby, be checked by quarantine and health officers at Jackson International Airport, then travel to Vanimo.
It means Abelauw and the villagers will have to fly from Sentani airport in Jayapura to Jakarta, Singapore, then to Port Moresby.
Then after they are cleared, they will board a domestic flight to Vanimo.
It may take up to a week.
Wiri said the border management team in Vanimo planned to conduct awareness in West Sepik on the coronavirus.
“They should make allowances for these border crossers because the Indonesian’s border province of Papua is low-risk at the moment, according to information I got from the quarantine officers in Port Moresby.”
Wouwou insists that the Wutung border office is closed for travel and business until the travel ban is lifted based on advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
He said the border office did not have monitoring and testing facilities for such a medical emergency, urging the Government to upgrade the monitoring, surveillance and screening facilities and equipment.
Nukundj said all land borders was closed to everyone – except officials from WHO and the International Committee of Red Cross.
International flights are allowed in except those originating from Wuhan City.
“However, passengers coming in from affected countries must have a medical certificate clearing them of the coronavirus before they can board the plane,” he said.
“And passengers who have been to the Wuhan City in the past 40 days will have to be quarantined for 14 days if they are serious cases, or monitored for 14 days if they arrive with medical certification.
“This also applies to the students there, if they do come in we will have to quarantine them or closely monitor them for 14 days,” he said.
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