An Indonesian consul says he's disappointed he wasn't allowed to cross the border into Papua New Guinea because of measures to prevent the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus.
People from Papua New Guinea make frequent trips across the Indonesia border at Wutung Photo: RNZ / Johnny Blades
Abraham Lebelauw, who is the consul to the PNG border town of Vanimo, tried to cross from West Papua on Wednesday but the PNG government closed the border last week.
Mr Lebelauw told the newspaper The National thermal scanners were available at the border and he tried to use diplomatic immunity, but was refused.
Indonesia has no confirmed cases of the coronavirus, and Mr Lebelauw is now in the city of Jayapura among hundreds of people - including PNG citizens - stranded by the border closure.
"There are no reported cases yet in Indonesia and I clearly am not coming from Wuhan," he told The National.
"As a neighbouring country with a good relationship with Papua New Guinea, it is wise to talk, discuss and work together to solve the problem as we already did in combating polio outbreak some time ago."