10 Feb 2005

Jakarta to split Papua into five provinces by 2009

5:10 pm on 10 February 2005

An Indonesian government official says Jakarta intends splitting the troubled province of Papua into five new provinces.

The plan follows a recent court decision, which says an earlier controversial law splitting the province into three is unconstitutional.

One of those provinces, West Papua which is based on Manokwari, is already functioning.

The Papua Governor, Jacobus Salossa, says in addition to West Papua, the Government will create Cendrawasih Bay, North Papua, Central Mountainous Papua and South Papua by 2009.

The Governor says the plan is backed by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The move is likely to fuel protest among Papuan independence activists, who are opposed to any division and view it as an attempt to weaken the self determination movement.