As a representative of the consular department of the Russian embassy in the Indonesian capital reported, 53-year-old Gayk Arutyunyan, a resident of Yerevan, was detained by Indonesian authorities in 1998 in the easternmost province of Indonesia – Irian Jaya. He reached there by ship, and the Armenian citizen explained to the Russian consul that the purpose of his trip to the remote region without a visa was a desire to help his sick son, since, according to him, the 'necessary medicinal plants' grow in Irian.
He did not find any miracle cures, but he settled in Indonesia for a long time under the forced supervision of the immigration service. The Armenian visa violator eventually decided to seek help from the Russian authorities. As it turned out, neither Arutyunyan nor his family in Yerevan have the funds to return home. The Indonesian authorities do not object to his deportation – but only at whose expense? Armenia's Foreign Ministry is aware of the situation, but there is no Armenian embassy in Jakarta. The Russian Federation's embassy provides assistance, but its capabilities are limited because Arutyunyan is a citizen of another state. And he needs help.
Russian officials believe that such help should come first from Armenia. And while the three states sort out their relations, Gayk Arutyunyan remains in the zone of Jakarta's international airport, reports MIGnews.
_