Camelia Pasandaran, Farouk Arnaz & Fidelis E. Satriastanti, Jakarta – The government aims to speed up development of two economic clusters of local industries in Papua and West Papua to help overcome economic and social problems in the provinces.

The plan was announced after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono visited Wasior, West Papua, which has been devastated by flooding and landslides.

He also ordered that an evaluation of a 2007 presidential instruction to accelerate development in Papua and West Papua be expedited, a presidential staff member said on Friday.

"During the past two days, the president intensively discussed the efforts to reconstruct Wasior and accelerate Papuan people's welfare," Velix Wanggai, his special adviser for regional development and autonomy, said.

The perceived slow pace of development in Papua, along with alleged continuing human rights abuses, have long been used by local people to demand a referendum on independence. To speed up development in the country's two easternmost provinces, the government was pushing ahead with two key economic clusters.

"In Papua, we will involve environmentally friendly businesses," Velix said. "With the backup of power plants, we will support economic clusters in plantation areas in Timika, Merauke and in the northern part of Papua. In West Papua, we will push for one economic cluster in West Papua to develop cement, agriculture and cow farming."

Yudhoyono who has said he is upset by international and local criticism about the pace of development in Papua, will also convene a special meeting to discuss the acceleration of development.

Velix said the governors of the two provinces would present their master plans to the meeting.

Jakarta says Papua and West Papua are the largest recipients of development funding from the government but activists in the provinces and overseas say the money does not trickle down and benefit the people. They have also pointed to the continuing violations of human rights in Papua.

Yudhoyono said that in the case of the Wasior area, struck last week by a flash flood that killed more than 145 people and displaced thousands, the government would in the short term build makeshift shelters.

"The operation will be done by the military and police, as well as by the local people, so that the people can get an income," Yudhoyono said. He denied the devastation was a result of illegal logging.

Meanwhile, National Police deputy spokesman Brig. Gen. Untung Yoga Ana said the floods had damaged "around 90 percent of Wasior city and swept away an area covering more than 20 square kilometers."

Untung said two police officers were reported missing. Another police officer had been found dead and had since been buried. Four police vehicles, two motorcycles, a police station and a police dormitory were also swept away by the floods.

More than 70 police reinforcements had been dispatched to the area, Untung added.