Pacific

Hunters carrying guns cause tension between PNG and Indonesia

08:28 am on 27 January 2004

Reports from Papua New Guinea say there is tension along the border with Indonesia after Indonesian authorities seized shotguns from PNG hunters in the area.

17 men from Wutung village had been arrested after they crossed into Indonesian territory.

The Post Courier newspaper reports that they were taken to into police custody in Jayapura but released on Friday after PNG border officials met their Indonesian counterparts in the PNG town of Vanimo.

Under a border agreement, traditional border crossers are allowed to hunt with traditional weapons abut not firearms.

The reports say ther is tension because of the Indonesians' refusal to return the guns.