Corruption Blamed for Trans-Papua Road Building Delays

JAYAPURA CITY - The Awaking Papua Forum in Indonesia says it suspects corruption is the cause of the long delay in the construction of a Trans Irian highway linking the southern and north ends of the region.

The forum’s coordinator, Hengky Jokhu, says the Merauke-Wamena-Jayapura-Nabire-Sorong highway was commissioned in 1992, but has yet to be built.

He says it’s no longer a secret that the National Road and Bridge Agency, which hold the authority over road and bridge projects in Papua, is rampant with corruption.

Mr Jokhu says half a century has passed since Papua joined Indonesia and so far Papua has been left poor, isolated and marginalised.

He says the issue of more autonomous areas in Papua planned by the central government is an attempt at diverting attention away from alleged corruption and money laundering. [RNZI]