Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Five journalists from Australia`s "Channel Seven" television station will be deported later on Thursday for violating Indonesia`s immigration law by entering Papua province on tourist visas.
"They have clearly violated their visa-on-arrival which is only valid for tourist activities or a social visit, not for working," Desra Percaya, a spokesman of the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry, told ANTARA News here on Thursday.
The five television journalists, who included presenter Naomi Robson, were questioned by immigration officers on Tuesday (Sept 12) upon their arrival in Indonesia`s eastern most province of Papua.
"Media wanting to cover (events) must have media visa," he said.
The Jayapura immigration office plans to put them on a flight at Sentani airport on Thursday afternoon for further transportation to Jakarta`s Soekarno-Hatta international airport from where they would be sent home.
The Australian television crew members were detained by the Indonesian police for violating Immigration Law No. 9/2001.
Desra declined to reply to a question whether the Australian journalsits were fined and would be black-listed.
"It`s the authority of the officers in the field," he said.
The deported Australians would be accompanied by a Jayapura immigration officer during their travel to Jakarta.
