President to visit Irian Jaya

JAKARTA: President Megawati Soekarnoputri is scheduled to visit Indonesia's easternmost province of Irian Jaya in December, some time during the Christmas and New Year period.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Thursday that the President was to hold dialogs with the local people and leaders of the province to assure them that the special autonomy status was the best solution for the province.

"If any group rejects the Special Autonomy Law then hopefully it can be resolved through this dialog," the minister said after seeing Megawati off to Malaysia. Megawati was to attend the funeral of Malaysia's monarch, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah who died on Wednesday. --JP