Jakarta – Papuan students called on the government to withdraw all security personnel and stop the ongoing construction of military and police infrastructure in the country's easternmost province.

Papua's Central Highland Students Association (AMPTPI) secretary-general Januarius Lagowan said Papuan students opposed the development of the police's Mobile Brigade base in Wamena, Jayawijaya.

Markus Haluk, cofounder of AMPTPI, said the government should withdraw all security personnel from the resource-rich province because the security approach was no longer effective in maintaining security and political stability in the province and had triggered public unrest.

"The social welfare approach mentioned by the government is just lip service, since violence and shootings still happen in the province," he said as quoted by kompas.com.

He called on the government to hold talks with Papuans to identify major problems and settle them peacefully to create a sense of security among the people and improve their welfare. (rms)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/05/25/govt-urged-pull-security-personnel-out-papua.html