Papua's Mulia Airport To Get More Security After Shootings

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Papua's Mulia Airport To Get More Security After Deadly Shootings

Farouk Arnaz, Markus Junianto Sihaloho & Ezra Sihite | April 11, 2012

Following two deadly shootings at the airport in the Papuan highland town of Mulia in the past few months, police are stepping up security at the facility, an official said on Tuesday.

“With these incidents, we will step up security at the Mulia airport by evaluating our security personnel and with cooperation from the TNI [the Indonesian Armed Forces],” National Police spokesman for general affairs Sr. Comr. Boy Rafli Anwar said.

He was referring to an attack of a Trigana Air Twin Otter plane on Sunday morning that killed one person and injured four. The pilot and co-pilot were hurt in the attack, along with a 4-year-old boy and his mother.

In October, a man shot and killed the Mulia subdistrict police chief at the airport.

Boy did not give details on the involvement of the TNI in safeguarding the airport, which has remained non-operational because the Twin Otter has not been moved since the attack.

The airplane careened off the runway and hit a warehouse. Several airlines servicing the airport, including Trigana Air, have said they will temporarily halt flights in and out of Mulia until security measures improve.

“Regarding the reopening of the airport, we will coordinate this with the authorities at the airport,” Boy said. “This is related to the removal of the damaged airplane and repairs on the damaged building. It will be reopened as soon as possible.”

Many officials, including Djoko Suyanto, the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, have aired concerns that more shootings could take place in the future because the airport is surrounded by mountains from where attackers could operate.

Boy also said that none of the bullets that were fired at the airplane — which had flown in from Nabire — had been found on the plane or at the airport.

Meanwhile, legislators were up in arms over the incident.

“The attack is unacceptable because in Papua, flights are the main means of transportation. The distribution of food, for example, can be affected,” House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Priyo Budi Santoso said.

He said police should work with the TNI and the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) to solve the problem, including the prevention of future attacks.

“Whoever did this needs to be arrested. This is a provocation that needs to be halted,” the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) legislator said.

However, he said the incident should not turn the airport into a base where the military could beef up its troops in Papua.

“I do not suggest an increase in troop numbers,” he said.

Tubagus Hasanuddin, the deputy chairman of House Commission I dealing with security, defense and politics, said he deplored the shooting, especially as it was not the first in the area.

“There have been several shootings, but not a single perpetrator has been captured despite the president having repeatedly called for the cases to be resolved,” Tubagus said.

The PDI-P lawmaker went on to claim that security forces were not doing their best to investigate the shooting.

“Hunt them down in the mountains,” he demanded.

The police and members of the TNI, Boy said, were still looking for the attackers.

Tubagus also wondered how this could take place despite being in Papua, an area that features the deployment of hundreds of military, intelligence officers and members of the BIN.

ENDS

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