Army to station extra division in Papua

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.