TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Ronny Frankie Sompie said the police would send a team of DNA experts to Ukraine along with representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to identify Indonesian nationals that fell victim to the downed Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17.
“There are seven persons to be sent. They are members of DVI (Disaster Victimology Identification) and the National Police Medical and Health Center,” Ronny told Tempo on Monday.
Ronny said they were tasked to match the DNA of the Indonesian victims with that of their possible families. Ronny said the team was formed following recent coordination between the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Malaysian Embassy and Malaysia Airlines.
“But I haven’t received the schedule of their departure because we are still waiting for permission from there (the Ukrainian government),” he said.
The DVI is the police’s special team with international experiences in identifying victims of accidents such as those on board the ill-fated Sukhoi aircraft in Bogor. The DVI also plays an important role in identifying victims of bomb explosions in Indonesia.
“They are not just anybody. This will be headed by Sen. Com. Dr. Anton Papilani, who is already a senior in this field,” said Ronny.
The Indonesian Embassy (KBRI) in Ukraine previously sought coordination with multiple parties regarding the crashed MH17. The KBRI said they were set to facilitate the delivery of information from Ukraine to relatives of victims in Indonesia.
In a press release received by Tempo on Saturday, the KBRI in Ukraine pledged to monitor the handling of the victims’ bodies. They also said they were trying to immediately evacuate, identify, and return the bodies to their families in Indonesia for proper burial.
YOLANDA RYAN ARMINDYA
