Supporting Covid-19 Prevention Efforts, Indonesian Ambassador Urges Communities in the Indonesian Border Region of Papua New Guinea

Supporting Covid-19 Prevention Efforts, Indonesian Ambassador Urges Communities in the Indonesian Border Region of Papua New Guinea

The Indonesian Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Drs. Andriana Supandy, MA appealed to the Indonesian people who live along the border area between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) to always support the efforts of the Government of Indonesia and PNG to prevent the transmission of Covid-19 which is currently spreading in various countries.

The Emergency Status in Papua New Guinea, which initially took effect from March 24 to April 6, 2020, has been extended by the PNG Government for the next 2 months. While crossing activities at the border between the two countries through the Skow PLBN have been closed since January 29, 2020.

Following the policy, the PNG Government has also tightened security around the border area and insisted it would impose legal sanctions on border crossers during the emergency period.

In this regard, Ambassador Andriana Supandy again appealed that the Indonesian people in the RI-PNG border region could pay attention to the policies currently being implemented and not force them to illegally enter PNG territory.

Likewise, on the other hand, the community is expected to be able to report to the authorities if they see any crossing activity from PNG entering Indonesia illegally during the closure of activities at border posts.

Ambassador Andriana Supandy really hopes that people on both sides of the border can understand the threats that arise in the event of the spread of Covid-19 in the region. The temporary suspension of activities at the border is of course aimed at ensuring the safety and security of the whole community.

During the telephone conversation between President Joko Widodo and Prime Minister (PM) James Marape on April 2, 2020, there was an understanding of the steps taken by the two countries to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in both countries, especially border areas.

Protection of the Indonesian people from the dangers of Covid-19 is a priority for the country at this time and with the understanding and support of all our parties, we can jointly minimize the possibility of Covid-19 transmission between the two countries.