Ministers forced to stay over in Kupang
Ministers forced to stay over in Kupang
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara
The absence of security guarantees prevented on Monday four
Cabinet ministers from landing in the Maluku capital of Ambon and
forced them to stay in the East Nusa Tenggara capital of Kupang
overnight.
State Minister of Administrative Reform Feisal Tamin, State
Minister of Research and Technology Hatta Rajasa, Minister of
Forestry M. Prakosa and Minister of Health Achmad Sujudi were
making a stop-over in Kupang from Atambua when the Pattimura
airport in Ambon refused to give a security clearance to the top
officials.
Quoting a Pattimura airport official, an Eltari airport
official in Kupang said the Pelita Air DASH-7 aircraft that was
carrying the ministers would have exceeded the safe arrival time.
"There would be no security guarantee for the ministers if
they landed after 5 p.m. local time," the Eltari airport official
said.
The Maluku civil emergency authorities have declared the
province a no-fly zone after 5 p.m. local time. Jakarta imposed a
civil state of emergency in Maluku and North Maluku in 2000
following widespread sectarian conflict there.
The central government has no intention of lifting the status
in the near future despite the fact that security and order in
the two provinces have improved greatly since the departure of
Laskar Jihad, a Java-based Muslim militia, in October allowed for
a peace deal between the warring communities signed in February
last year to take effect.
The problem on Monday developed after the ministers arrived in
Kupang from Atambua several hours later than their scheduled
flight to Ambon at 3 p.m.
The ministers were stayed at the Kristal Hotel before
continuing their trip to Ambon on Tuesday morning. They are on a
working visit to East Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, North Maluku,
Central Sulawesi and Papua to observe development programs and
explain the government's tough policy to increase utility prices
in the provinces.
During their visit to Atambua, the ministers also attended a
gathering with civil servants who celebrated the Indonesian Civil
Servants Corps, Idul Fitri, Christmas and New Year and the
inauguration of a state hospital in the border town with East
Timor.
"We concluded from the dialog with people during our visit to
Atambua that they expect the government to pay more attention to
education, health, electricity, forestry, agriculture and border
issues," Feisal, speaking on behalf of the visiting ministers,
told reporters upon arrival in Kupang.
He said the people's demand for revision of the government
decision on fuel and utility prices would be discussed during a
Cabinet meeting next week.
The ministers had been welcomed with a rally at the Eltari
airport.
During the rally, dozens of protesters grouped under the Joint
Forum for People's Salvation called on people to boycott the
election next year and stop paying taxes if the government failed
to revoke the increase in prices.
In his defense, Feisal told the demonstrators that the
stringent policy was aimed at curbing foreign debts and boosting
the country's economic growth.
"The government has no intention of letting people down
because the multiple hike in prices will, in the long run,
terminate our dependence on foreign loans and improve our self-
reliance," Feisal said.