An Indonesian landing craft carrying government cargo disappeared without a trace off the coast of West Papua, between the districts of Mimika and Asmat on the island’s southern coast.
Landing craft Shita XX It left Mimika on July 15, bound for Asmat with a cargo of 4G communications equipment for the state-owned mobile phone company Bakti.cominfo. The vessel and its 12 crew members were due to arrive on July 18 but never showed up. On July 19, it was announced that its arrival was delayed and a search was launched.
The Indonesian navy dispatched a transport ship on Monday. Teruk Lada 52The US Navy SEAL 1 was deployed to assist in the search and rescue efforts, and several small boat teams were sent to search a number of estuaries along the coastline near Agattu. Indonesia’s search and rescue agency Basarnas also requested assistance from commercial vessels.
of Shita XX The shipment of communications equipment was eventually headed inland to the Yahukimo region, a mountainous region where Indonesia has been trying to quell a separatist insurgency for decades. Foreign access to the area is limited by security concerns, the same issues that have delayed the communications project.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo said he would hand over control of Papua’s 4G project to the Indonesian military in 2023 so that “construction can begin immediately and we can provide security support.”
