The Indonesian army is considering whether to station extra troops in the province of Papua, in a bid to take quicker and more effective action against separatists. An army leader says that if problems erupt in the province, it takes too long for reinforcements to reach it.
The number of troops currently stationed in Papua is unclear, but thought to be in the thousands. Several organisations, among them Human Rights Watch, have accused the Indonesian military of human rights violations.
The unrest in Papua, which occupies the western half of the island of New Guinea, has been linked to the presence of foreign mining companies. Many inhabitants believe they profit too little from the exploitation of the province's gold and copper mines. In the months since July last year, when an employee of the Australian mine construction company Freeport was shot dead, there have been several attacks on foreign companies in the province.