21 Aug 2002

Forum leaders express concern to Indonesia over violience in Papua

4:19 pm on 21 August 2002

Pacific countries have told Indonesia they are concerned at the continuing violence in Papua and have called for the full implementation of the special autonomy law.

New Zealand's foreign affairs minister, Phil Goff, says that in the Post Forum dialogue in Fiji they also told the Indonesian delegation that they did not want to see a military solution to the problems in Papua.

"Our hope and our expectation is, is that the law having been passed,that law will now be converted to actuality, in the sense that the people of papua will be given greater control of managing their own local affairs, and a more equitable share of the resources."

Mr Goff says the Indonesian delegation reassured them that military intervention wasn't necessary in Papua.

The panel discussion on Indonesia was held today as part of the post-forum dialogue.