President approves Papuan Congress

JAYAPURA, Irian Jaya: President Abdurrahman Wahid has no objections to next month's planned Papua Congress, the congress organizers said on Friday.

A member of the organizing committee, Tom Beanal, said Abdurrahman gave his approval when he met some Irianese figures, including himself, at the Bina Graha presidential office last week.

Tom said the President was also considering opening the congress, but "would first discuss it with other parties".

Abdurrahman will allow the congress to go ahead, even with the presence of Irian people residing overseas, if its intention is to discuss Irian people's future, Tom said.

Tom said Irianese living in Asia, the Pacific region and Europe would attend the congress, which follows on the heels of a preliminary congress last month.

The February congress unanimously rejected the 1969 plebiscite that incorporated the territory into Indonesia, on the grounds that the popular consultation lacked legitimacy because only 0.8 percent of the 80,000 eligible voters took part.

Abdurrahman has repeatedly ruled out independence demands voiced in Irian Jaya and other natural resource-rich provinces of Aceh and Riau. (01/eba)