Governor Set to Bring Home Banten Locals from Papua
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2 October 2019 17:57 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Banten Provincial Government is ready to pick up 16 Banten residents who are currently residing in Papua if they want to go home due to security reasons. Banten Governor Wahidin Halim said he had ordered the Home Affairs Ministry's Directorate General of National Unity and Politics as well as the Regional Disaster Management Agency to help with the situation.
"We will provide the funds required to pick them up," Wahidin said after a leadership meeting in Serang, Tuesday, October 2.
The governor said he would do whatever he could to help the people of Banten who needed help. "If possible, they fly tomorrow".
The governor said that he received information there are Banten natives who want to return to their hometowns out of fear of the security conditions in Indonesia's easternmost region. However, they cannot afford the transportation costs.
Banten BPPD acting chief Kusmayadi said that his agency will coordinate with relevant institutions to check up on how the people of Banten are doing in Papua—whether they are safe or need to leave immediately.
"If they must leave, we will bring them home," he said.
Meanwhile, thousands of Wamena residents queued at the Wamena Air Force Base on Tuesday, October 1. They waited to leave Jayawijaya Regency using a Hercules aircraft to other cities such as Jayapura and Timika.
Since the riots broke, the TNI Air Force has flown 6,472 refugees outside Wamena.
ANTARA | WAYAN AGUS PURNOMO | ESTER ARLIN K.