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Indonesian Homecoming Travelers Continue to Defy Travel Ban

Thousands of motor vehicles filled the Northern Coast [Pantura] between the West Java cities of Bekasi and Karawang in the early hours of Tuesday, May 11, as they headed to their hometowns in defiance of a government ban on homecoming travel for the Eid al-Fitr or Idul Fitri holidays.

According to Kompas.com, the motorists took, the majority of whom are motorcyclists, too up both lanes, congesting the roads. As in the early hours of Monday, a number of them went the opposite direction to get past barricades set up by the authorities and overwhelming traffic police.

“The traffic is virtually at a standstill for five kilometers on both lanes, especially as the travelers refused to turn around [to Jakarta],” said Bekasi Police Precinct chief Grand Police Commissioner Hendra Gunawan, as quoted by Kompas TV.

“We have coordinated with authorities in other cities such as Cirebon, Subang and other locales that set up barriers which are divided between those for cars and motorcycles.”

The government banned local travel between urban agglomerations like those in Jakarta or other major Indonesian cities, as well as more far-flung provinces, to prevent a surge of cases such as those seen in India, after the Idul Fitri holidays.

Source:

https://megapolitan.kompas.com/read/2021/05/11/05065421/selasa-dini-hari-kemacetan-parah-kembali-terjadi-di-pos-penyekatan?page=all#page2. 

Indonesian Police Arrest Papuan Separatist Agitator

Police in the Indonesian province of Papua has arrested Victor Yeimo, a Papuan agitator affiliated with the Free Papua Movement who has been suspected of masterminding riot in the restive territory between August to September 2019.

“The Nemangkawi Task Force captured Victor at the provincial capital Jayapura on Sunday, where he has been at large since September 2020,” said Papua Regional Police chief Inspector General Mathius D. Fakhiri on Monday, May 10.

“Victor is wanted [for the August-September 2019 unrest] as well as a number of offenses,” he added without specifying the charges. Nemangkawi Task Force head Police Grand Commissioner Iqbal Alqudusy reiterated Fakhiri.

“As the head of the National Committee of West Papua [KNPB], Victor was known as an agitator who made inflammatory speeches and masterminded a number of protests in Papua,” he said, as quoted by the Antara state news agency.

Indonesian authorities charged Victor with treason, spreading misinformation, as well as defaming symbols of state in his role in the 2019 unrest.

If found guilty, he faces five to 15 years in prison, and fines of up to Rp. 500 million [$35,266.40].