REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAYAPURA -- The Indonesian government noted that the abduction of two Indonesian citizens in the area bordering the Papua Province and Papua New Guinea will not affect the bilateral relationship between the two countries.

Papua Governor Lukas Enembe said on Tuesday that the Indonesian consulate in Vanimo of PNG had warned people to temporarily stop visiting PNG.

"The entourages of the Papua Province Administration and the Persipura soccer team have been told to temporarily postpone their visits to the Vanimo Province in PNG due to instructions issued by the consulate office," Enembe said.

He added that the regional administration was yet to verify recent reports whether two Indonesian nationals had been kidnapped by armed men or were detained due to problems related to border crossing clearance.

"The two Indonesian citizens were allegedly unaware that crossing the border of Indonesia-PNG might have caused their abduction," the Governor remarked.

The XVII Cenderawasih Regional Military Chief, Hinsa Siburian has reported the incident to the administration, he said.

The Papua administration is still investigating whether the Indonesian nationals were kidnapped by armed men or captured because they were crossing the border.

Previously on Saturday, the Indonesian consulate in Vanimo, the capital of Sandaun province, Papua New Guinea, had reported that two Indonesian citizens, identified as Sudirman (28) and Badar (30) had been allegedly kidnapped by unknown people in the village of Skoutio in the Sandaun province.

They were allegedly abducted by armed men on Wednesday while cutting wood in Skopro in the sub-district of East Arso in the district of Kerom, Papua which borders Papua New Guinea and can be reached via a three-hour walk from Skoutio.

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