The general arrived at Sentani airport on Friday morning and immediately proceeded to the regional military command headquarters to meet local army personnel, Lt Col Harry Priyatna, deputy chief of the XVII/Cenderawasih Regional Military Command`s public information office, said here on Friday.
"The visit of the Army Chief of Staff in Papua is to give directives to a number of TNI (Indonesian Defense Forces) officers, and at the same time get first hand information form the XVII/Cenderawasih Military Commander about the security situation in Papua," Harry Priyatna said.
General Pramono Edhie would also hold meetings with local prominent figures, religious leaders, and journalists, he said.
In addition to Jayapura, he is also scheduled to visit Wamena, Timika, and Merauke.
"After visiting Wamena, Timika and Merauke, the army chief of staff will go back to Jayapura and visit the Keerom border area to personally see the condition of soldiers and weaponry in the area," he said.
Meanwhile, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will soon issue a decree on accelerating development activities in Papua and West Papua provinces.
"I think we all have agreed that there should be a presidential decree to speed up development there. The decree will allow us to coordinate the existing programs to ensure that all accelerated programs in Papua will work well," Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Hatta Rajasa said after attending a coordination meeting on political, legal and security affairs in Jakarta, last August 2011.
He said the accelerated development programs in Papua and West Papua would focus on infrastructure projects, including crucial programs in the educational and public welfare sectors.
"Every thing will be coordinated among the ministries concerned," he said.
(Uu.F001/HAJM)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
