Emergency status for Papua denied

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