Farouk Arnaz, Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) is urging President Joko Widodo to build a palace in Papua, so that he can be closer to the people and soothe separatist sentiments in the remote region.

"We encourage [the president] to immediately establish a presidential palace for the Papuan people," Komnas HAM commissioner Nurcholish told a discussion held at the National Police headquarters in Jakarta on Thursday.

According to Nurcholish, the plan for a presidential pied-a-terre in Papua would greatly improve the prospects for peace.

Since Papua became part of Indonesia in the 1960s, a low-intensity guerrilla war has been waged against the central government, most notably by members of the Free Papua Organization (OPM).

Papua and West Papua remain among the nation's least developed provinces, even as they are among the richest in terms of natural resources.

The Indonesian president already has a number of official palaces at his disposal. Apart from the State Palace in Jakarta, for instance, there are palaces in Bogor and Cipanas (both in West Java), in Yogyakarta (Central Java) and in Tampaksiring (Bali).

Source: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/komnas-ham-jokowi-needs-palace-papua/