VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Mar. 18 - Some 22 terror suspects were flown from East Java to Jakarta on Thursday.

The suspected terrorists arrived at the Sukarno-Hatta Airport in Tangerang, west of Jakarta, at 12:15 Western Indonesia Time (WIB) under the escort of tens of officers of the National Police's counterterrorism squad (Densus 88), according to an Antara journalist’s observation.

The terror suspects, with their eyes covered, hands cuffed, and legs chained, alighted one by one from the plane. They were later escorted to three minibuses to transport them to the Cikeas detention house in Bogor District, West Java.

"They will be taken to the Cikeas detention house," Chief of the Public Information Bureau of the National Police Brigadier General Rusdi Hartono stated.

Hartono noted that the 22 suspected terrorists were arrested from several parts of East Java between February 26 and March 2, 2021. They were found to have played diverse roles in the terrorism network. (Antaranews)

Mar. 18 - Some 86 Rohingya refugees in Lhokseumawe City, Aceh Province, will be transferred to Medan City in North Sumatra Province in the near future, according to a government official.

"They will gradually be united with their colleagues in Medan to facilitate easier handling," Head of the Task Force for Handling Rohingya Refugees Ridwan Jalil stated.

The refugees are currently accommodated at a vocational training center in Meunasah Mee Kandang Village of Muara Dua Sub-district, Jalil noted in a statement that ANTARA quoted on Thursday.

The refugees are part of the 396 Rohingya migrants that landed in Aceh Province in 2020, though most of them had fled their temporary shelters in Lhokseumawe, Jalil remarked.

To prevent the remaining 86 refugees from escaping their shelter, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had agreed on their transfer to Medan.

Prior to their transfer to likely commence next week, the task force has been coordinating with the UNHCR and other related authorities, according to Jalil.

In the first batch, 50 older refugees and children will get transported, while 36 others will join the second batch, he revealed.

ANTARA noted that the UNHCR-Indonesia Office has granted refugee status to 99 Rohingya migrants rescued by three Acehnese fishermen on humanitarian grounds in June 2020.

Refugee status was granted to the 99 Rohingya migrants comprising 31 women, 41 girls, 16 men, and 11 boys after the UNHCR officials registered them on July 5-11, 2020.

On July 10, 2020, the Indonesian government had shifted them from the old immigration office in Lhokseumawe to the city's Meunasah Mee vocational training center.

However, 22 of them fled the vocational training center.

During the registration process, the UNHCR officials found that 25 of the refugee children were traveling without their parents.

However, 13 of them were accompanied by their guardians.

Three Acehnese fishermen rescued the 99 refugees on humanitarian grounds after their boat got stranded in the waters off Seunuddon, North Aceh, on June 24, 2020.

The Indonesian government offered hygiene kits and logistics as well as health services to the refugees.

The EU's Foreign Affairs and Security Policy spokesperson, Nabila Massrali, has lauded Indonesia's decision to provide safe landing and humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya refugees. (Antaranews)

Mar. 18 - Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) reviewed the mass vaccinations conducted at community health centers (Puskesmas) in Ge'tengan, Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi, during a work visit to the area on Thursday.

"Today, 11 thousand people are being vaccinated," the head of state noted in a press statement in Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi, as witnessed virtually from Jakarta, Thursday.

Jokowi remarked that the elderly and public service officers, including public transportation drivers, were accorded priority during the vaccination in Tana Toraja this time.

The president is optimistic that this inoculation would contain the transmission of COVID-19 in Tana Toraja.

"I see that everything is running smoothly, the vaccines are ready to be offered, and the officers are also ready. We are optimistic that the process would be continued for this district," Jokowi stated. (Antaranews)

Mar. 18 - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) inaugurated the Toraja Airport in Tana Toraja District, South Sulawesi Province, on Thursday.

"Nearly every six months, I always sought information from the minister of transportation as to when (the construction of) the airport in Tana Toraja would be completed? How come it took so long to complete? Finally, today, we can inaugurate and operate it. We should be grateful, Alhamdulillah," President Jokowi stated at Toraja Airport.

The president embarked on a work visit to South Sulawesi to inaugurate several types of infrastructure and observe mass vaccinations against COVID-19.

The head of state was accompanied by Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi, Minister of State Secretary Pratikno, and Acting Governor of South Sulawesi Andi Sudirman Sulaiman, among others.

"I have sought information from the minister on the costs to build this airport? It is Rp800 billion since we had to raze down three hills and clear six million cubic meters of land. This airport is very unique (since we had to) raze down three hills to build the runway," he remarked.

"We know that it usually takes nine hours for the people here (from Tana Toraja) to reach Makassar by land. Earlier, the governor had told me it takes nine hours. Just now, I travelled aboard an ATR aircraft, and it took 50 minutes," Jokowi stated.

With the existence of the Tana Toraja Airport, people from Makassar, Bali, Jakarta, and Bandung can head directly to Tana Toraja.

The president is optimistic that the Toraja Airport would drive the region’s economic growth, create more jobs, and trigger new centers of economic growth.

Aircraft, such as the ATR 72-500 / 600, can land at the Toraja Airport’s runway that measures two thousand meters long and 30 meters wide.

Furthermore, Toraja Airport has a passenger terminal, with an area of 1,152 square meters, and can serve 45 thousand passengers annually.

Toraja Airport has been operational since September 4, 2020, and two airlines -- Wings Air and Citilink -- operate on regular routes from Makassar to Toraja and vice versa.

In addition to inaugurating the Toraja Airport, President Jokowi inaugurated the Pantar Airport in Alor District, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

Jokowi later headed to the Ge'tengan community health center (Puskesmas) located at the Rante Kalua Village, Mengkendek Sub-district, Tana Toraja, to review the implementation of a COVID-19 vaccination campaign. (Antaranews)