'Don't Play With Fire,' Nyelong's Danrem Warning Pilot To Conflict-Prone Areas In Papua Without Coordination

Danrem 172/PWY Brigadier General JO Sembiring when checking the readiness to deploy security forces for President Jokowi's working visit to Jayapura. (ANTARA/HO/Prem 172/PWY)

PAPUA - Commander of Korem 172/PWY Brigadier General JO Sembiring admitted that currently there are pilots flying to vulnerable areas without coordination first. "There are still many who fly and wander to unsafe areas and they are being observed," said Brigadier General JO Sembiring in Jayapura, Antara, Sunday, March 19. He explained that his party invited all airlines to inform their flight plans so that if there is information related to security in the intended area, they can be informed. Almost at every airport there are Kadis Ops and Paskhas as well as Polri and it is connected so that if there is a development in an area it can be immediately known. "Don't play with fire," Sembiring hoped. People in the Papua Mountains area really need flight services including pioneering flights so that with a number of acts of terror it causes them to experience limitations, both logistics delivery and others. Therefore, it is hoped that the public will dare to report if something happens using SSB in their village so that action can be taken immediately. "Flights, especially pioneers, really help people in Papua, especially in the mountains," said Danrem 172/PWY Brigadier General JO Sembiring. Chairman of the Indonesian Pilots Association (IPI) Capten Rama Noya separately admitted that since January there have been four cases of security disturbances that have hit the world of aviation in Papua. The first security disturbance occurred on January 9, which was experienced by the Caravan PK-HVV aircraft belonging to PT. Ikaros, who was shot when he was about to land at Oksibil Airport, Bintang Mountains Regency. Then on February 7 the Pilatus PC-6 plane with flight number PK-BVY belonging to Susi Air was burned shortly after landing at the Paro airport, Nduga Regency, and the pilot Capt. Philip Martenz has been held hostage until now. On March 7, the cargo plane belonging to PT. Smart Aviation and PT. Daby Air was shot at Biloral Airport, Intan Jaya so that both planes went around and failed to land. Then on March 11, the passenger plane belonging to PT. Trigana Air-type B737-500, PK- YSC was shot while taking off from Nop temastra airport, Dekai, Yahukimo Regency, Papua Mountains, causing a hole at the bottom of the fuselage. "IPI hopes that all parties will protect and protect pilots and civil aviation in Papua from security disturbances," hoped Capt. Rama Nayo