Troops deployed to Mengkudu island<\/p>\n
Antara, Kupang<\/p>\n
Troops have been deployed to Mengkudu island, a remote island in
\nEast Sumba regency, East Nusa Tenggara province, to monitor the
\nactivities of Australians living there, a military official said
\non Monday.<\/p>\n
Commander of the Wirasakti military area Col. APJ Noch Bola
\nsaid the Australians had built five houses on Mengkudu island.<\/p>\n
\"I've assigned 17 troops to secure the island and monitor the
\nforeigners' activities there,\" Bola said in Kupang on Monday.
\nHowever, he did not specify the number of the non-nationals
\nliving on the island or how long they had been living there.<\/p>\n
He said the Australians had come to Mengkudu island to surf as
\ntourists but one of them had married a daughter of the local
\ntribal leader.<\/p>\n
The marriage, Bola said, had allowed the Australians to put
\ndown roots on the island, even allegedly prohibiting local
\nresidents from approaching their \"palaces\".<\/p>\n
\"Several local tourists wanting to look around were yelled at
\nand prohibited from coming closer. This attitude was unacceptable
\nas the island belongs to us, not Australia,\" Bola said.<\/p>\n
\"Although the local administration hasn't yet build
\ninfrastructure on the island ... Indonesian Military personnel
\nhave been assigned there for the sake of the country and to
\nensure they don't do anything that would endanger the country.\"<\/p>\n
He said the deployment of the soldiers was essential. \"If they
\ndo anything that would endanger the country, we'll take action.
\nIn the meantime, the foreigners are still acting as tourists,\"
\nBola said.<\/p>\n
Previously, deputy chairman of an ad hoc Regional
\nRepresentatives Council committee, Jonathan Nubatonis, expressed
\nconcern about the foreigners' presence on Mengkudu island.<\/p>\n
\"It's possible the Australians living on Mengkudu island could
\nbe intelligence agents. We need to be careful and be ready for
\nanything that could endanger the country's security,\" he said.<\/p>\n
East Nusa Tenggar province has 566 islands, both large and
\nsmall, but 524 of them are uninhabited. So far, the
\nadministration has only named 246 islands.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/troops-deployed-to-mengkudu-island-1447893297",
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