Indonesia’s President Joko „Jokowi“ Widodo celebrated Christmas in Papua, together with his wife and children, the Trade Minister and the Cabinet Secretary.
He visited local markets and visited the groundbreaking ceremony of new markets in Jayapura and Sentani. He also promised to be back for the inauguration of the market in Sentani at the end of 2015.
Jokowi also broke his silence over the case in Paniai, where several people were shot. He explained his late comment by saying that he did not want to make a comment as long as he did not have a comprehensive account on the incident and as long as a statement would not solve the problem Furthermore, he explained, he was going to form a fact-finding team to obtain valid information and find the root of the problem to stop the violence in Papua. He said that it is important to not let these incidents happen again.
He also emphasized on the importance of having a dialogue and listening to the people of Papua in order to improve the situation in Papua.
