In the Indonesian province of Papua, the appointment of a new police chief has been greeted with protests. Last year, Inspector General Timbul Silaen was charged and acquitted of human rights violations and crimes against humanity, relating to his time as police chief in East Timor.

Presenter/Interviewer: James Panichi

Speakers: Willy Mandowan, Papuan indpendence activist; Saafroedin Bahar, National Commission for Human Rights- KOMNAS-HAM; Dr Richard Chauvell, director of the Australia Asia Pacific Institute, at Victoria University.

Panichi: This week, Papuans were offered a sharp reminder of the important role played by Indonesian military and police in the province. Independence activist Willy Mandowan was one of several hundred protestors in the town of Sentani, near the provincial capital Jayapura.

Mandowan: "In the morning, there was the Morning Star flag at Sentani. Forty-five minutes later, the police force, the air force and the military came to force the raising of the red and white Indonesian flag.

"People were saying prayers and singing, until 8:30. Then the rope of the Morning Star, the West Papuan flag, was cut off by the police."

Panichi: That's in spite of the fact that in 2001, Indonesia approved legislation designed to kick-start Papua's move towards autonomy. And one of those laws granted Papuans the right to fly their flag and celebrate December 1st. That's the day in which – in 1961 – separatists proclaimed Papua's independence from Dutch colonial rule.

But most of the regulations required to enact that legislation have yet to be approved, leaving the province facing an uncertain political future. Inspector Silaen's appointment also follows the killing of 10 suspected separatist fighters by the military – an incident which has hightened tension.

Mr Mandowan says many independence activists are keeping an open mind about the new police chief, but are concerned by the suddenness of the decision.

Mandowan: "We don't know him yet, but we think that the changing was too quick. "Mr Budi Utomo, the current chief of police, has been doing very [well]. Committing himself to peaceful means, of handling the differences."

Panichi: That means, all eyes in the province will be on Inspector Silaen, to see whether he too is able to build community trust. However, human rights activists in Indonesia argue the doubts over his conduct while police chief in East Timor makes him the wrong person for the job.

The National Commission for Human Rights government with a long list of human rights abuses in the province, and is keen not have to add to those concerns. Although Saafroedin Bahar, the Commission's team-leader in the Papua investigation, says he expects Inspector Silaen to approach his new job with great caution.

Bahar: "I think he has learned his lesson, you know. According to my opinion, Mr Silaen has been cleared by the special tribunal for East Timor. So I don't think there will be similar problems within Papua."

Panichi: The Commission claims that, with the 2001 greater autonomy must be respected by Indonesian police. But that raises the question of whether the appointment of a new much difference.

According to Richard Chauvel, from Australia's Victoria University, it does.

Chauvel: "The police chiefs in Papua do have a degree of autonomy and if we look back over the past three or four years, the police chiefs and their particular personalities and approaches have been critical, certainly General [Sylvanus] Wenas, who was there from 2000-2001, had particular attitudes which were critical. "General [Made] Pastika likewise brought a particular approach. "I'm not sure whether in this particular case the appointment of someone who has had controversial experience in East Timor, and was put on trial for alleged human rights violations in East Timor, is necessarily particularly significant or sinister, as many senior police and army officers in Indonesia have had experience in East Timor.