Missionaries repatriated

Missionaries repatriated

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya: The government's plan to repatriate foreign missionaries under the "Indonesianization" of Christian propagation is a blow to the provincial administration, governor Jacob Pattipi said Saturday.

Pattipi said Irian Jaya needed foreign missionaries not only to propagate Christianity but also to help the local government develop the numerous isolated villages on the sparsely populated island.

"The missionaries play an important role in the development of the region," the governor said in an audience with church and Christian leaders.

They have also played a major role in the efforts to raise the living standards of the local people, he added as reported by Antara. (pan)