Of Iron Birds and Fog

Weather and scarce planes hamper public mobility. Land routes are vulnerable to shootings.

April 21, 2009

MULIA Airport, Puncak Jaya regency, Papua, on Saturday, February 28. That was the third day of a long wait for a caravan plane due to fly Tempo, four journalists from Jakarta, and two World Bank staff members out of the town lying at an altitude of 1,700 meters. The bright sky that morning was growing darker by noon. The rows of hills lining both sides of the airport were not visible, engulfed in fog. "When the peaks of the hills disappear, no air

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