PNG Relations Smooth After Plane Incident

PNG Relations Smooth After Plane Incident

Camelia Pasandaran & Arientha Primanita | January 06, 2012
The government said on Friday that all was well in Indonesia-Papua New Guinea relations, admitting that a technical glitch on its part was behind what was almost a terrible aerial accident that had raised tensions between the neighboring countries.

Several international media outlets quoted a Port Moresby newspaper as saying on Friday that Papua New Guinea had reportedly threatened to expel the Indonesian ambassador from the country after what was described as an incident in Indonesian airspace in November.

Two Indonesian military aircraft reportedly nearly collided with a Falcon F900 jet that was carrying PNG’s Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah and other senior government officials who were returning from Malaysia on Nov. 29.

In an official statement issued on Friday, the Foreign Ministry said its minister Marty Natalegawa had met with PNG’s ambassador to Indonesia to explain the incident. Marty, the ministry statement said, told the ambassador that the near-collision was caused by a technical problem in flight clearance.

“The PNG ambassador to Indonesia extended his appreciation at the explanation provided by the foreign minister and will transmit it to his government,” the statement said.

The statement also stressed that the Indonesian planes’ flight path was made in line with procedure and that it “never put the [PNG] airplane in danger.”

According to the release, the problem stemmed from differences in flight clearance data between radars belonging to the National Air Defense Command (Kohanudnas) and the airport.

The difference made it necessary to visually identify what had been merely an electronic identification, and the resulting interception had been conducted in line with standard procedure, the statement said.

Earlier on Friday, Defense Ministry spokesman Hartind Asrin was quoted by state news agency Antara as denying reports that two Indonesian planes had almost collided with the PNG jet.

“No Indonesian military aircraft were in operation on November 29, the date on which the incident allegedly took place,” Hartind said.

Air Force spokesman Commodore Azman Yunus, citing data from the Indonesian Air Force’s Operations Center, also insisted no military aircraft were operating in eastern Indonesia on that date.

“None of our radars placed in the eastern part of Indonesia, namely in Saumlaki, Biak and Merauke, showed a record of any flight conducted by foreign planes above Indonesian territory on the date mentioned,” he said.

Reports coming out of PNG had said the plane carrying Belden was in Indonesian airspace, traveling a route that had received clearance, when the interception took place.

PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill was reported by Radio Australia News as having described the incident as “an act of aggression and intimidation” and demanded a full explanation within 48 hours.

Teuku Faizasyah, a presidential advisor for foreign affairs, said earlier that the Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry had met to discuss the report.

But a news conference that had been scheduled to be held after the meeting was later cancelled for unspecified reasons

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http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/threats-to-expel-indonesian-ambassador-from-png/489491

Threats to Expel Indonesian Ambassador from PNG
January 06, 2012

Papua New Guinea has reportedly made threats to kick the Indonesian ambassador out of the country after what is described as an incident in Indonesian airspace last November.

“Two Indonesian military aircraft almost collided with a jet carrying PNG’s deputy prime minister and senior government officials who were returning from Malaysia,” Radio Australia News reported on Friday.

The Australian broadcaster said allegations had been made that the Indonesian Military (TNI) had been tracking the activities of the PNG government, which was described by the country’s prime minister, Peter O’Neil, as “an act of aggression and intimidation.”

The broadcaster said PNG had demanded a full explanation from its neighbor “within 48 hours.”

The story is developing.

ends

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