Indonesia Deports Japanese TV Crew for Alleged Immigration Violations

Japanese TV crew in cartoon.

Jakarta, 15 Sha’ban 1438/12 May 2017 (MINA) – A six-member television crew from Japan was deported from the easternmost Indonesian province of Papua on Thursday for immigration violations, Japan Times reported, citing a local immigration official.

Yopie Watimena, chief of the immigration office in the provincial capital of Jayapura, said that one of the six Japanese nationals entered Indonesia via Jakarta’s Sukarno-Hatta international airport on May 1, while the rest entered the country on May 2.

According to Watimena, the six came to Papua to make a documentary film on the life of native tribes in the province, but failed to obtain proper documents, including journalist visas.

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“They had already made footage of the Mamuna and Korowai tribes in a remote area in the southeastern part of Papua and were on the way to the town of Wamena (in the mountainous regency of Jayawijaya) when we arrested them,” the official said, adding that two Papuan tourist guides who accompanied them were also detained before finally being released.

Watimena said that based on the information gained by the Papua Strategic Intelligence Agency, the six Japanese nationals work for the Nagano Production House in Japan.

“They were deported to Japan today (Thursday) after having been interrogated since Wednesday,” he said.

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There were no further details about the six Japanese citizens. (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)