West Papua No.1 News Portal | Jubi
Jakarta, Jubi – Indonesia’s immigration office found Papua Governor Lukas Enembe went to Papua New Guinea (PNG) without proper documentation, through “traditional” land borders, by walking and taking a motorcycle taxi (ojek). Enembe said he went there to get medical treatment.
To journalists at Skouw border post in Jayapura, on April 2, 2021, Enembe said he “was forced” to go to PNG to get a foot nerve system therapy. He acknowledged that he was violating immigration regulations.
“I know it’s wrong. But I do this for my health, because other people refused to take care of my health,” Enembe said.
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Enembe did not elaborate about the condition of his health nor the situation related to his medical care in Indonesia.
He said he went to the border and passed through a traditional path. Then he rode an ojek to PNG. He said he went to PNG without checking in with the immigration office in Skouw in Indonesia, he claimed he informed his arrival in PNG to the Indonesian Consulate in Vanimo.
“But I have contacted the consulate general since day 1 I was in PNG,” he told the press.
The consulate general, however, offered a different account.
Indonesian Consulate General in Vanimo, Allen Simarmata, said he knew about Enembe’s arrival in PNG on Thursday, a day after Enembe crossed the border. Simarmata said his office “facilitated” Enembe’s return to pass through immigration office in Skouw.
“I did receive a report about the governor. He were there for two days, I knew about this yesterday,” he said.
The information about Enembe’s undocumented arrival to PNG circulated on the social media. The posts said Enembe went to PNG illegally.
The head of Immigration Office from the Law and Human Rights Ministry in Papua province, Novianto Sulastono, said Enembe and his two aides were “deported” from PNG.
“Yes, it is true that Governor Enembe and his two aides, were deported. The Indonesian consulate had to issue an official document to act as a passport,” said Novianto on April 3.
Besides Lukas, his two aides, Hendrik Abidondifu and Ely Wenda, also entered PNG while skipping the process at the immigration and they returned to Indonesia with Enembe using the document issued by the consulate office.
He said the immigration office in Jayapura was investigating the matter.
Jubi’s source in PNG’s immigration said that the PNG government did not send any complaint to Indonesian government on Enembe’s immigration violation.
The source told Jubi that the return process did not use a deportation process. Enembe returned to Indonesia, escorted by Allen Simarmata and guarded by the PNG Defence Force. Upon his arrival in the neutral zone, Enembe was picked up by PNG Consulate General in Jayapura, Geoffrey L. Wiri and the head of Border Affairs and Foreign Cooperation Agency at Papua administration, Suzana Wanggai.
Reporter: Alexander Loen
Editor : Edi Faisol, Aryo Wisanggeni
