Emergency status for Papua denied

YOGYAKARTA: The government said it has no plan to raise a civil emergency status on Papua, despite constant security problems in the country's easternmost province.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Saturday that any plan to declare civil emergency status for Papua needed to be considered thoroughly.

He was responding to members of House of Representatives Commission I for political and security affairs, who proposed that security alert for the province be upgraded.

Civil emergency, Susilo said, would only be imposed if the government could no longer handle the Papuan separatist movement.

He stressed that existing laws were adequate for dealing with the province's security problems.

"Despite security disturbances, the separatist movement and social problems in Papua, the government hopes to find a solution based on law," Susilo said. -- JP