Jakarta – A US congressman who once supported separatism for Indonesia's Papua said Thursday he was encouraged by the nation's commitment to address the needs of people in the troubled region.
US Democrat congressman Eni Faleomavaega, who was invited to the national capital Jakarta but not to Papua itself by an Indonesian lawmaker, said his outlook had "changed".
"I feel very relieved and encouraged to see that there has been a complete change in the commitment, in the priority sets, the government of Indonesia has taken toward the needs of the people of Papua," Faleomavaega said.
The politician's praise came on the same day international watchdog Human Rights Watch released a report alleging that police abuses of Papuans have become endemic and occur with impunity in Papua's isolated Central Highlands.
The congressman said that he and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono discussed the resource-rich region during talks this week.
He said the president "does really have very, very strong feelings about the necessity of the leaders of the government of Indonesia to seriously address the economic and social needs of the people of Papua."
He hailed Jakarta's special autonomy law for Papua, which gives the region a greater part of revenues earned from its natural resources and a larger say in its administration.
"I am just delighted to say how much I appreciate President SBY's (Yudhoyono's) commitment, not only in providing resources but providing the kind of assistance that I believe, the Papuan people have been asking for many years," he said.
Faleomavaega, who arrived here Tuesday, has held a series of meetings with officials, including Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda, legislators, and Papuan representatives, including the governors of Papua and West Papua provinces.
Thursday's Human Rights Watch report said that routine torture, rape and killings in Papua were deepening mistrust of Jakarta and it called on the government to open the region to independent observers.
Foreign diplomats, journalists and rights workers must obtain special permission to visit Papua, where a low-level separatist insurgency has rumbled for decades and activists claim security forces carry out rights abuses.