Indonesia defends policies in West Papua
Senior official says claims of brutality by security forces in province are exaggerated.
Published On 1 Feb 2013
Dewi Fortuna Anwar, a senior advisor to Indonesia’s vice-president, has defended her government’s policies in West Papua, an autonomous province of Indonesia.
She told Al Jazeera that claims Indonesian security forces in the province have engaged in brutality have been “exaggerated”.
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“Since 2005, the Indonesian government has changed the policy towards West Papua from focusing on security to a prosperity approach,” Anwar said.
“We know the government has worked very hard to promote a better welfare, democracy and more protection for human rights in all parts of Indonesia.”
She also said that Jakarta does not allow journalists to work in West Papua because of security issues stemming from conflicts among opposition groups there.
Anwar was responding to an Al Jazeera investigation into the freedom struggle of breakaway groups in West Papua.
Source: Al Jazeera