Government to Intensify Efforts to Solve Conflict in West Papua
Translator
Editor
25 August 2003 13:05 WIB
TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The government is to intensify efforts to settle the conflict in West Papua and is making this one of the main priorities of the governments political and security affairs policies on in 2003. Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono made this announcement this after attending a cabinet meeting discussing the governments policies in 2003 in Jakarta on Monday (6/1). In its attempts to solve the conflict in West Papua, the government puts a priority on diplomacy approaches to foreign countries as well as efforts to settle social justice affairs, especially as regards the standard of living. Yudhoyono said the government has detected maneuvers of some figures that want West Papua be free. It has asked foreign countries to support Indonesia in defending its integrity--including defending the province of West Papua Province--and has made diplomacy approaches to local organizations and foreign countries. In addition to settling the conflict in West Papua, the government has put priority on three other cases. Firstly, it will continue handling problems in Aceh that are still in a critical condition following the signing of the Geneva peace accord. The government will gradually collect weapons from members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). It will also relocate military and police personnel and change their operational system into a defensive one. In addition, the government will accelerate development in the province, which is popularly known as Veranda of Mecca. Secondly, in order to eradicate terrorism the government is looking to issuing antiterrorism regulations as well as improving related institutions performance, including the forming of an antiterrorist coordination desk. In addition, the government has is seeking ways to uncover any international terrorist networks there might be in Indonesia. The third priority is the stabilizing of the political situation in the run-up to the general election in 2004. So far, Yudhoyono said, the government has tried to handle radical political movements that could disturb democracy, with information provided by the National Intelligence Agency (BIN). (Dede Ariwibowo-Tempo News Room)