I Wayan Agus Purnomo, Deddy S, Jakarta – Violence against women in Papua has remained high over the past two years. There were 80 cases between 2010 and 2011, higher than the period between 1963 and 2009 (261 cases).

Sylvana Apituley, the Papua taskforce chief at the National Commission for Women, said the cases were dominated by sexual, physical and psychological violence. "This was not only committed by civilians but also security personnel," she said in Jakarta yesterday.

There were four cases in Jayapura, 37 cases in Merauke and 39 cases in Wamena. The violence, she added, was encouraged by the political, social, economic and security situation in the area.

Between 1963 and 2009, there were 81 cases committed by state security personnel and 98 cases of domestic violence. In the same period, there were 25 violence cases involving the state and households.

According to Sylvana, the commission has reported the date to the government, the House of Representatives (DPR) and the police but there has not been a response. Sylvana said it was hard to reduce the number of cases with a heavy security approach in Papua.

Jeirry Sumampouw, from the Indonesian Church Representative's Women and Children Department, said the only solution was to reduce the number of security personnel.

He said the personnel's attack after the third Papuan Congress on October 19 killed three people. At that time, said Jeirry, the personnel did not differentiate between men, women and children. "The congress results will legalize security personnel committing acts of violence," he said.

Chief of the National Commission for Women, Yuniati Chuzaifah, said the government did not have good intentions in terms of resolving human rights abuses in Papua. "The government must hear and respond to human rights issues in Papua," she said.