Exiled Papua rebel leader returns home

"I encourage myself to meet with President Yudhoyono," he was quoted by Detik.com as saying at the ministry office. But, presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal told that there had been no schedule on the meeting. Eighty-five years old Jouwe has lived in the Netherlands for 40 years. Franz Albert Yoku, a member of the Independent Group Supporting the Autonomous Region of Papua with the Republic of Indonesia, was quoted by Antara news agency as saying that the leader's visit was at the invitation of the Indonesian government.

Jouwe was traveling to Indonesia accompanied by his daughter, Nancy Jouwe, and his son, Nico Jouwe. In Jakarta, he hoped to have a constructive dialogue with President Yudhoyono. Under the administration of President Yudhoyono, the three-decade rebellion in Aceh province in the northern tip of Sumatra Island ended through peaceful solution. The Free Papua Movement has long engaged in rebellious activities in Indonesia. They have used both guerrilla and diplomatic ways to achieve their goal.