Anyone have any news of how Scotty and Co are fairing. I do know Scott and Vera and am a bit concerned for their welfare. I hope they are home soon and telling of their ordeal. To add to his woes I also heard a rumour that Cape Air has suspended all flights due to the Chief Pilot not being in a position to exercise his responsibilities. Is Scotty the Chief Pilot or does someone else hold this position?
I must admit I'm not surprised to hear of Scotty in this predicament as he always was a bit colourful.
I have done a search and found this in the Australian, Thur 18th Sept. The six month detention does not sound too good. Anything is possible in these parts I guess.
FIVE Australians held in Indonesia's politically sensitive region of Papua since Friday have been fined 28.6million rupiah ($3820) and moved into an immigration jail cell while authorities decide whether to charge or deport them.
Former airline pilot William Scott-Bloxam, his wife and co-pilot Vera Scott-Bloxam and their friends Hubert Hofer, Keith Mortimer and Karen Burke were arrested on their arrival at Mopah airport in the Papuan backwater of Merauke on Friday.
Indonesian authorities said the group had no visas or correct flight documentation for their twin-engined light aircraft, after flying from Horn Island in the Torres Strait.
They were held for four nights in the town's Asmat Hotel, before being moved on Tuesday to the holding cells at the local immigration office.
"They were moved to make the investigation easier," Merauke immigration chief Freddy Manus said. "The results will be reported to the director-general (in Jakarta) to take further steps, including deportation."
According to a local journalist, at least three of the group -- both women and one of the men -- were beginning to show signs of stress.
The fine imposed was only for the aircraft landing without proper documentation, and the group will face further penalties if the authorities decide to charge them with breaching Indonesian immigration law.
A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman said the embassy in Jakarta was working with the Indonesian authorities in an effort to sort out documentation for the five.
"The embassy is in regular communication with the five Australians to ensure their welfare is safeguarded," he said. "Two embassy officials have travelled to Merauke and are providing assistance to the five Australians on the ground."
Susan Skyvington, whose son Saul Dalton was detained in Papua for six months in 1999, said the similarities with her son's case were chilling.
"In the first few days he was under house arrest in a hotel and (we were told) we were going to be able to get him out in a few days ... when the documents were sorted out.
"Then they were saying he was not going to be released, they were going to put him through a trial and he was moved to a military police outstation in the jungle."
Mr Dalton, then 25, had gone to East Timor to hand out how-to-vote cards during the referendum on independence from Jakarta. Indonesian-backed militias were intimidating independence supporters at the time and took a dim view of foreigners participating in the political process.
Ms Skyvington said that when violence erupted her son boarded a ferry to Papua to escape, and was told he could sort out his documentation when he arrived. In Papua, he was put to trial and given 10months' jail, which was reduced for good behaviour. He ended up spending six months in detention.
Ms Skyvington said that her son had never fully recovered from the experience, and now suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.