The president has decided to visit Papua once in three or four months to monitor the progress of development in Papua."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has pledged his commitment to monitor the development in Papua and West Papua provinces, Coordinating Minister for Political, Security and Legal Affairs Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno stated here on Tuesday.

"The president has decided to visit Papua once in three or four months to monitor the progress of development in Papua," he noted at a national seminar on Papua openness for foreign journalists organized by LKBN Antara news agency.

Tedjo remarked that the cabinet ministers had also committed to visit Papua.

He pointed out that one of the governments commitments to develop Papua was to specifically allocate funds in the national budget for the region.

Tedjo condemned those who consider that Jakarta has so far only tapped Papuas resources.

"Indeed, Papua contributes a total of Rp10 trillion in funds to the budget. However, a total of Rp35 trillion has also been allocated in the budget for Papua. So, actually, we have paid "excess," but so far, only the Rp10 trillion has been highlighted," he affirmed.

Minister Tedjo stated that several efforts have been undertaken to accelerate development in Papua, but so far, they have never been widely reported in the media.

Foreign media have reported more about the conflicts and human rights issues in Papua, he remarked.

"Violent incidents in Papua are not different from those found in other places involving two sides and not only the security forces," he pointed out.

Minister Tedjo affirmed that the government has reached out to all parties in Papua to accelerate development in the city and now refers to the Free Papua Movement as the Organization for Papua "Membangun" (development).

Tedjo was the key speaker at the seminar that also featured other speakers such as Head of the Papua Parliamentary Caucus Paskalis Kossay, member of the Press Council I Made Ray Kusuma Wijaya, and international law expert from state University of Indonesia Prof. Hikmahanto Juwana.

(Reporting by Dewanto Samodro/T.D018/Uu.H-YH/INE/KR-BSR/A014)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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