Papua wants 'selective' tourist restriction
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura, Papua
The Papuan governor, the Papua military commander and local councillors have asked the central government to implement its plan to restrict tourists to the province selectively.
Governor Jaap Salossa said the plan should not affect all foreigners as many were involved in development programs, including in the areas of education, health, social, and religion.
"Many churches in Papua have partners overseas. So, if the planned restriction is applied without selections, it could spark new problems," Salossa said.
Papuans are mainly Christians and animists in the predominantly Muslim country.
The central government is considering a plan to restrict foreigners to Papua, citing rampant visa abuses as one of its reasons for doing so. It said aid workers and foreign journalists went to the easternmost province posing as tourists.
Papua military commander Maj. Gen. Nurdin Zainal agreed with the governor.
"Please do not create an impression that Papua is not safe," he said.
Four people were recently killed in Timika in a conflict sparked by the formation of Central Irian Jaya province under a presidential decree, which accelerated the division of the giant province into three separate provinces.
An undercurrent of resentment toward Jakarta has always existed in the province since its integration into the country in 1963. Sporadic fighting with government troops has been common over the last 40 years.
Nurdin said he hoped the government would not close the province to foreigners and tourists. He also hoped the government would not restrict field officers from humanitarian non- governmental organizations from entering the province.
He said any tourists visiting the province would be advised against visiting certain hotspots.
Salossa said he did not mind if the government imposed stricter screening on tourists and foreign NGO activists, but stressed that the province was in dire need of activists in the areas of education, health and religion.