The New Zealand government has confirmed that its planned community policing training programme in Indonesia's Papua region will not go ahead this year.
The Eastern Indonesia Community Policing Programme had been slated for early 2014.
But New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade says Indonesia advised that it is not able to support the project at this time.
The New Zealand Green MP Catherine Delahunty has welcomed the news, saying her country's collaboration with Indonesia's police force, which is linked to abuses in the region, is not helpful to West Papuans.
"The Green Party is pleased the programme is not going ahead because we felt it was a farce and we were very concerned about the view of West Papuans that this was aid that kills. So we won't be wasting NZ$ 6.3 million on a whitewash."
MFAT says the future of the programme will depend on the priorities for development assistance agreed by New Zealand and the incoming Indonesian Government, after elections in Indonesia this year.
