Pemerintah Pusat Didorong Layangkan Surat Protes ke Pemerintah PNG

MERAUKE - Pemerintah Pusat didorong menerbitkan surat protes terkait penembakan kapal ikan asal Merauke oleh tentara Papua Nugini yang menyebabkan satu orang tewas, Senin (22/08) lalu di perairan pulau Turi, Papua Nugini.

Hal itu disampaikan Kepala Badan Pengelola Perbatasan dan Kerjasama Luar Negeri (BPKLN) Provinsi Papua, Suzana Wanggai di Merauke, Rabu (24/08).

Meski nelayan Papua dinyatakan bersalah karena memasuki wilayah perairan PNG, namun Suzana menyebur tindakan penembakan sangat tidak tepat. Pemprov Papua pun hingga saat ini masih menunggu konfirmasi dan kejelasan dari pemerintah Papua Nugini terkait peristiwa itu.

"Memang kalau kita lihat, nelayan kita juga salah karena mereka menangkap ikan sudah masuk di wilayah perairan Papua Nugini. Namun kita juga harus melihat kejadian penembakan ini tidak manusiawi. Mereka (tentara PNG,red) mendatangi kapal dan langsung memberondong dengan tembakan," kata Susi usai mendampingi Sekda dalam rapat bersama Forkopimda Merauke dan Stake Holder perbatasan RI - PNG di wilayah Merauke, di kantor Bupati setempat. 

Ia menambahkan, meski terjadi peristiwa ini namun hubungan baik antara kedua negara Indonesia dan PNG harus tetap terjaga.

"Ke depan kita akan komunikasikan lagi dengan baik. Nanti ada forum-forum diskusi, dimana kita akan duduk bicara bersama terkait dengan bagaimana, kenapa sampai seperti ini. Tentu kita akan bersama membahasnya dengan Kementerian Luar Negeri," harapnya.

Di kesempatan itu, Susi juga menjelaskan terkait dua kapal ikan asal Merauke yang dinyatakan hilang saat peristiwa penembakan terjadi.

"Dua kapal sampai saat ini kita belum tahu keberadaan dan kita serahkan sepenuhnya kepada perwakilan pemerintah kita di Papua Nugini dalam hal ini kedutaan besar RI di Port Moresby dan konsultan RI konsulat RI di vanimo untuk terus komunikasi Intens dengan otoritas terkait di Papua Nugini," katanya.

Sementara itu, dalam kunjungan kerjanya ke Merauke, Sekda Papua Ridwan Rumasukun selain menghadiri rapat, juga menyerahkan bantuan mewakili pemerintah Provinsi kepada keluarga korban dan 8 ABK yang selamat. ***

MERAUKE - The central government is encouraged to issue a letter of protest regarding the shooting down of a fishing boat from Merauke by the Papua New Guinean army that left one person dead, last Monday (22/08) in the waters of the island of Turi, Papua New Guinea.

This was conveyed by the Head of the Border Management and Foreign Cooperation Agency (BPKLN) of Papua Province, Suzana Wanggai to reporters in Merauke, Wednesday (24/08).

Although Papuan fishermen were found guilty of entering PNG waters, Suzana said the shooting was highly inappropriate. The Government of Papua is still waiting for confirmation and clarity from the Papua New Guinean government regarding the incident.

"Indeed, the fishermen are wrong because they catch fish and enter the waters of Papua New Guinea. But we also have to see this shooting incident as inhumane. They (PNG soldiers, ed) came to the ship and immediately strafed with gunfire," said Susi after accompanying the Regional Secretary in a meeting with Coordination Forum for Regional Leaders of Merauke and stake holders of the RI - PNG border in the Merauke region, at the local Regent's office.

She added that despite this incident, good relations between the two countries of Indonesia and PNG must be maintained.

"In the future, we will communicate again well. There will be discussion forums, we will sit to talk together about how, why it got like this. Of course, we will discuss it with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs together," she hoped.

On that occasion, Susi also explained about two fishing boats from Merauke that were declared missing when the shooting incident occurred.

"We do not know the existence of the ships until now and we leave it entirely to the representatives of our government in Papua New Guinea in this case the Indonesian embassy in Port Moresby and the Consultants of the Republic of Indonesia consulate of the Republic of Indonesia in Vanimo to continue intense communication with the relevant authorities in Papua New Guinea," he said.

Meanwhile, during his working visit to Merauke, Regional Secretary of Papua, Ridwan Rumasukun, in addition to attending the meeting, also handed over assistance on behalf of the Provincial government to the families of the victims and 8 survivors. ***