Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

West Papuan activist highlights opposition within Indonesian Government to dialogue

Posted at 03:54 on 06 December, 2012 UTC

A member of a group tasked with negotiating with Indonesia on behalf of West Papuans, says efforts to hold dialogue with Jakarta face numerous obstacles.

The five-man group, made up of exiled West Papuans, was selected at last year’s Papuan Peace Conference in Jayapura to prepare for dialogue with Jakarta over ongoing problems in the Papua region.

Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called for dialogue with Papuan leaders and has met more than once with Papuan church representatives.

However since then, according to the US-based Octo Mote, access to government has been restricted for those working to discuss solutions for Papua.

“The radical strong group from the government, including the home affairs ministers, the political and law and human rights co-ordinating ministers, not to mention the military, strongly oppose this idea of dialogue.”

Octo Mote