Timor Leste Asks For Indonesian Assistance To Take Care Of Corona

Minister of Planning and Investment of Timor Leste Xanana Gusmao (Wardhany Tsa Tsia / VOI)

JAKARTA - The Minister of Planning and Investment of Timor Leste Xanana Gusmao has asked the Indonesian government to provide assistance in the form of quarantine places for 17 of his citizens who will be evacuated from China.

Xanana said that after meeting with the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD, Tuesday, February 4.

"We don't have the facilities, we don't have anything. Therefore we ask (help) if possible," Xanana told reporters at the Kemenkopolhukam Office, Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat.

The first president of Timor Leste hopes that Indonesia can provide assistance so that its citizens can immediately be evacuated from the bamboo curtain country. "I believe that because Indonesia has greater capabilities than us and will help us overcome this situation," he said.

Not only discussing the issue of handling the corona virus, Xanana also asked the Indonesian government for assistance regarding territorial boundaries. He conveyed that Timor Leste and Indonesia have an unfinished boundary issue.

"Between Timor Leste and Indonesia, we still have a pending issue on the land border and then the boundary. ... We are here to exchange ideas about what we will do," he said.

The discussion about territorial boundaries was also confirmed by the Director General for Asia Pacific and Africa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Desra Percaya who participated in this meeting. To reporters, Desra said that this meeting discussed a lot about the territorial boundaries between the two countries at the Noel Besi Citrana and Sunan Bijael Oben points.

The result of the meeting, said Desra, was that the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD wanted a settlement related to territorial boundaries and it was carried out no later than the middle of the year.

"This is a political settlement. So it is agreed to be completed before the middle of the year. (The target is) before the middle of the year," said Desra.

Even though there are tug-of-war, the settlement of territorial borders will not be considered in terms of a political solution. However, the governments of the two countries will also consider the social side. "The agreement is a political settlement and also takes into account the people who live there," he said.

For the corona case, the Indonesian Government has repatriated 238 Indonesian citizens from Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, related to the corona virus attack. Hundreds of these people arrived on Sunday, February 2 at Hang Nadiem Airport, Batam.

Furthermore, they were flown to Raden Sajak Airbase in Natuna, Riau Islands to undergo a series of medicals for two weeks.

A number of Natuna residents had refused to use the area where they lived as an observation location for the corona virus. As a result, residents held demonstrations by means of giving speeches and burning tires.

The TNI-Polri also intervened to reduce the rejection by providing an explanation of the corona virus observation process. The Natuna community was asked not to worry because there was a guarantee that the virus would not spread and infect other people.

During this quarantine period, the government divides three layers of handling for the Indonesian citizens. The first layer is the location where the Indonesian citizens have no contact with other people except health workers.

The second layer is used to support health services, food, and so on. While in the third layer it is used as a place to carry out monitoring. The distance from the community's location is also one of the considerations in determining the quarantine location, referring to the virus transmission mechanism.