WSP-Indon ties strong

By DAVID WAPAR
THE Sandaun provincial government says despite reports of illegal entry and other activities in Western, it still maintains strong ties with Indonesia.
Gabriel Deckwalen, an official at the Sandaun governor’s office, told The National from Vanimo that there had been no major incidents between the two countries in the border town.
“Vanimo and Indonesia have had a good relationship and there are no official records of any serious incidents recently,” he said.
But he admitted that the only notable one which happened two weeks ago involved a youth from the border village of Wutung who removed an Indonesian flag at the Ruko shopping centre, which is alleged to be on traditional Wutung land. 
The incident sparked off rumours that the Indonesian military was advancing into Vanimo.                                                                                                                       
Deckwalen said they were just rumours and nothing serious transpired after that incident.                                                                                                                             
“We don’t know if that happened in Vanimo or Bewani. But Sandaun provincial government and Indonesia have had a good relationship through our sister province Papua.”
Deckwalen added that the incident may have stemmed from Wutung’s initial petition to the government for the transfer of the current border post to Tami River which is where the traditional Wutung land ends.
He said as a token of that strong relationship, Sandaun Governor Amkat Mai has been invited by the Indonesian province to officiate at a friendly sports carnival in West Papua’s Koya Barat this week from Friday to Sunday.