Indonesian President Joko Widodo said Monday he supports plans to reduce the military presence in eastern Papua.
After appointing the new military chief, Jokowi, who is known as president, said, “The reduction in the army in Papua is good, but we need to remain strict.”
Otherwise, armed rebel groups will continue to operate there and “the problem will never end,” he said.
It was unclear when and to what extent the military presence in Papua would be reduced.
Indonesia’s easternmost Papua region has seen a long-simmering separatist movement that has intensified in recent years. The military maintains a large presence in impoverished areas and has been accused by activist groups of human rights violations, which the military denies.
Former army commander Andika Perkasa has advocated a “humanitarian approach” in Papua in 2021 that will focus on communication with rebel groups, according to state-run Antara news agency.
When asked if Papua’s forces would be cut, newly appointed military commander Yud Margono told reporters on Monday that he would go to Papua to assess the situation before making a decision, but no details were given. I didn’t.
The Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, a Jakarta-based research group, said in a report this year that the frequency of riot-related violence in Papua has fallen from an average of 11 cases per year between 2010 and 2017 to said it had increased to 52 cases a year. 2018-2021.