5 Sep 2017

Indonesian president looks at West Papua dialogue

From , 3:02 pm on 5 September 2017

There are signs of a significant peace dialogue opening up between Indonesia's government and West Papuans.

Various Papuan civil society, church and customary leaders met with Indonesia's president Joko Widodo last month about establishing dialogue over problems in Papua.

Terms of reference for the dialogue are yet to be confirmed, but Jakarta is reluctant to have talks with the United Liberation Movement for West Papua which broadly represents the indigenous people of Indonesia's Papua region.

One of the participants at the meeting was Yan Christian Warinussy of the Papua-based Institute of Research, Investigation and Development of Legal Aid.

He told Johnny Blades that the Papuans asked the president to recommend a mediator for the dialogue.

Indonesia's president Joko Widodo

Indonesia's president Joko Widodo Photo: AFP