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.