NGO wants Indons to say ‘sorry’

A NON-governmental organisation in Port Moresby has denounced the Falcon jet fiasco between Papua New Guinea and Indonesia saying it was a breach of respect and friendship.

Millenium Good Governance Organisation president John Kerenga Kugl said Indonesia has breached the mutual relationship the two countries have and Jakarta must apologise to PNG.

Kerenga said this in a statement on Monday.

He said the Indonesian jet fighters that intercepted the PNG Falcon jet when returning from Malaysia was a sign of mistreatment, disrespect and a threat to PNG’s sovereignty.

"The intercepting incident was a setback to the PNG-Indonesia mutual respect, friendship and cooporation, and Indonesia has terribly failed to uphold that when the PNG government asked for an apology through consultation and negotiation".

Kerenga said "the people could not tolerate the bully and arrogant tactics by the Indonesian millitary," referring to the protest staged outside the Indonesian embassy on Monday where a number of NGOs turned up with their petitions to give to the embassy.

Their petitions included a formal apology from the Indonesian government and a compensaton of a K430 million.

By SHIRLYN BELDEN