Indonesian military steps up patrols along borders with PNG

The Indonesian military (TNI) said on Sunday that it is stepping up its patrols along the Indonesia- Papua New Guinea (PNG) borders to anticipate Papuans seeking asylum to Australia via PNG.

"We have yet to increase the number of troops in the Indonesia- PNG borders, but only intensify patrols there," Antara news agency quoted chief of the TNI Headquarters' information service Rear Admiral Mohammad Sunarto Sjoekronoputra as saying.

An Australian daily, The Age, said on March 25 that around 500 Papuans are making preparations to seek asylum to Australia. Of the total, 100 are students who are hiding in the forest to avoid arrest by security personnel following an anti-Freeport protest in Abepura, PNG, on March 16 that left five security personnel dead.

Sunarto said the existing number of TNI troops assigned to the Indonesia-PNG borders was quite enough to patrol the 125-km long borders, including supervising Papuans and foreign nationals crossing the borders.

"In principle, we will stay high alert for any eventuality along the borders following a number of incidents in Papua but have yet to come to conclusion to increase the number of troops there," he said.

Source: Xinhua