• Indonesian President Joko Widodo backs Papua troop cuts.
• Widodo appointed a new chief of armed forces on Monday.
• Andika Perkasa, former military chief, prioritized Papua insurgents.

The military of Indonesia has been charged with violating human rights while putting down a protracted independence movement in the eastern province of Papua, according to Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who stated his support for measures to reduce soldier numbers there on Monday.

Jokowi, as the president is known, said “the reduction of military troops in Papua is good, but we need to continue to be stern,” after appointing a new chief of armed forces.

Otherwise, he said, armed rebel groups will continue to operate there and “the problem will never end”.

The military of Indonesia has been charged with violating human rights while putting down a protracted independence movement in the eastern province of Papua, according to Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who stated his support for measures to reduce soldier numbers there on Monday.

Former military chief Andika Perkasa had in 2021 advocated for a “humanistic approach” in Papua that emphasizes communicating with rebel groups, according to state news agency.

Yudo Margono, the newly appointed military chief, said to reporters on Monday that he will visit Papua and assess the situation before making a decision but did not give further specifics.

According to a report released this year by the Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, the number of occurrences of insurgency-related violence in Papua grew from an average of 11 per year between 2010 and 2017 to 52 per year between 2018 and 2021.

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