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18th September, 2008
JAKARTA: Indonesia has fined the Australian pilots of an aircraft that landed illegally in remote Papua province, officials said Wednesday.
Five Australians—two women and three men—flew from Australia in a light aircraft and landed illegally on Friday at Mopah airport in the Merauke district of Papua.
Merauke airport chief Herson told AFP the 28.6-million-rupiah (3,000-dollar) fine was paid by the Australian embassy in Jakarta.
“We impose an administrative penalty for any illegal flight in Indonesian territory,” he said.
The Australians, who say they were on a private sightseeing trip to the restive eastern province, are being kept under tight police guard at a local hotel.
“They are still being questioned today,” Merauke immigration office chief Freddy Manus said.
Indonesia clamps tight restrictions on travel to Papua, where a small guerrilla force has been waging a low-level separatist insurgency since the 1960s. Journalists without special permits are barred from the region.
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