Army to station extra division in Papua

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

The Army plans to set up a new division of elite troops and station it in the country's westernmost province of Papua, where rebel groups have been fighting a low intensity guerrilla war for the independence of the mineral-rich region for decades.

Army spokesman Brig. Gen. Hotmagaradja Pandjaitan said on Friday that the plan would involve the gradual deployment of up to 15,000 troops from the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) from 2005 through 2009.

"The first 5,000 troops will be recruited from Makassar in South Sulawesi. They will be deployed in Sorong, Papua. To bring the number up to a total of 15,000, we will also recruit troops from military commands (Kodam) nationwide," Pandjaitan told The Jakarta Post.

According to him, the establishment of the new division was in line with the Army's guidelines on the development of its strength.

Pandjaitan said the deployment of more troops was also aimed at securing the border between Indonesia and next-door neighbor Papua New Guinea.

Following the establishment of the new division, the Army will have three divisions of elite troops. The other two are currently stationed in Cilodong, West Java, and Malang, Central Java. Each division consists of between 10,000 and 12,000 troops.

Pandjaitan refused to disclose the total cost of raising the new division, saying that "the Army will hold a hearing with lawmakers next week, during which we plan to discuss the issue."

"This is not a cheap project and it will have to be carried out in accordance with our budget," he said, without elaborating.

Currently, Kostrad has around 29,000 troops, giving it the largest establishment of all the country's military units.

The plan to set up the new Kostrad division in Papua comes amid allegations that the military has been abused humanitarian aid funds to finance its antiseparatist activities in the province.

Papua has been the scene of a sporadic guerrilla rebellion since 1963 when Indonesia took over the mountainous and undeveloped territory from the Dutch administration. There have been widespread allegations of military abuses down through the years.

Indonesia's military, which is facing major funding shortfalls, currently has only a few thousand troops in the Papua. Any increase will be a major drain on its budget.

Earlier this week, West Papua Baptist Church president, the Reverend Sofyan Yoman, said Indonesia's armed forces in Papua had been using funds set aside for humanitarian projects to bankroll military operations, AFP reported.