SBY urged to back Papua peace drive

Last Updated: Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:21:00 +1100

A group working to prevent conflict in the world has called on Indonesia's president to get fully behind a mediation effort for Papua and West Papua.

Linda Mottram reports the International Crisis Group (ICG) supports the initiative which is being conducted through the Indonesian Institute of Sciences.

The non-government conflict prevention body says if Jakarta does not want its province of Papua to draw ever-greater international concern, it needs to engage and side with forces that want a solution.

Meaningful dialogue between the Indonesian government and Papuan leaders could help stem political radicalisation in Indonesia's easternmost province.

The ICG�s South-East Asia project director, Jim Della-Giacoma, based in Jakarta, has written a report entitled "Radicalisation and Dialogue in Papua."

He says only a small group, with good media access, is advocating independence from Indonesia, with some opting for violence.

But he says there are genuine grievances and Jakarta must be engaged with resolving them.

Mr Della-Giacoma said: �If Indonesia does not want Papua to become the pebble in its shoe in international (forums) and it wants it to stay a national issue, we think that there needs to be national-level engagement and the President needs to be coming down on the side of those looking for a peaceful solution to these problems.�