NGOs Expect Next President to Address Papua Conflict

Jayapura, Papua (Antara) - Numerous non-government organizations (NGOs) in Papua have expressed hope that the next president would address the conflict in the province through a peaceful dialog, NGOs' spokesman Edy Risariyanto said here on Saturday. "The next president should have the political will to solve various conflicts in Papua," Risariyanto said, adding that the new president should be sincere about doing so. The new president, to be elected in the upcoming July 9 presidential election, is required to solve the problem in Papua through a peaceful dialog, with a commitment to respect, uphold, and protect human rights, he reiterated. "The new president should be able to create a sense of security and justice among all public elements in the province and ensure a clean, transparent, accountable, and corruption-free government," Risariyanto noted. The new president should also address the public demand of adequate housing, clean water, electricity, and transportation facilities, he added. "And the most important thing is that he must ensure freedom of expression among the community in Papua," Risariyanto said. (*)