Indonesia has ordered the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to exit from
Papua region which has been hit by separatist movement for years,
the country's Foreign Ministry said here on Thursday.
The order was made after ICRC officials visited a prison in
which separatist prisoners are suspected being detained in the
easternmost island, spokesman of the Ministry Teuku Faizasyah
said.
The spokesman said that the international organization had
violated the agreement made with the Indonesian government in
1987. Even, the organization ignored the request by the Ministry to
renegotiate for a new agreement in 2004.
Then the ministry has asked the ICRC to end operation in Papua
since a month ago, but it keeps ignoring it, he said.
"We asked them to immediately stop operation in Papua.
Because their activities have not been in line with their orientation of
neutral organization. Their officials have visited a prison," Faizasyah
told Xinhua.
Faizasyah said that the opening of the ICRC branch office in
Papua was illegal.
"The opening of their office in Papua is lawless. The agreement
made in 1984 has expired," he said.
Papua is a politically sensitive region where the Separatist Papua
Movement has long waged separatist campaigns since decades ago.
The Free Papua Movement has long engaged in rebellious
activities in Indonesia. They have used both guerrilla and diplomatic
ways to achieve their goal.