Ezra Sihite, Carlos Paath & Markus Junianto Sihaloho – Legislators have reacted strongly to the emergency landing by a US military aircraft at Banda Aceh's Sultan Iskandar Muda Airport on Monday, suggesting it may have been on a spying mission.
Susaningtyas Nefo Handayani Kertopati, a member of the House of Representatives' Commission I, overseeing foreign and defense affairs, urged the government not to treat the incident lightly, saying she found it hard to believe the pilot had been careless enough to run out of fuel.
"I am sure the aircraft didn't just lose its way and ended up in Aceh. All possibilities regarding intelligence activities should be considered. The probability is huge," Susaningtyas, from the People's Conscience Party (Hanura), said on Tuesday.
She called on the government to enhance the country's intelligence capabilities and to strengthen military infrastructure. "We have to watch out for threats from the sea, land and air," she said, adding that she hoped the Air Force would immediately launch an investigation into the real reason behind the emergency landing.
However, Adm. Agus Suhartono, the military chief, attributed the emergency landing to a miscalculation by the pilot.
"They obtained permission to land in Aceh for refuelling and there were no other issues," Agus said. "They did not make it to Singapore because they miscalculated their fuel requirements. That's why they requested to land in Indonesia."
The transport plane was reportedly en-route from the Maldives to Singapore via Sri Lanka when it ran into trouble and requested to make the emergency landing.
This was confirmed on Monday by a spokesman for the air base adjoining the airport, who said that the plane had permission to enter Indonesian airspace only, but not to land.
The plane was impounded and its crew detained at the airport until permission could be obtained from Indonesian authorities to resume the flight.
Mahfudz Siddiq, the House Commission I chairman, called on the government to take a firm stand on the incident. "The government must be very careful. This is obviously a violation," he said on Tuesday, questioning the US pilot's explanation for entering Indonesian territory.
He said the United States, as an advanced nation with a strong military, ought to be better prepared when undertaking long-distance flights.
The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) politician urged the government to investigate the incident to establish if it could be related to espionage. "The result [of the investigation] has to be made public," Mahfudz added.