Indonesia's president says he is ready to bring an end to the four-decade old insurgency in the province of Papua, now that a peace deal has been reached with Aceh separatists.
In a speech before Indonesian lawmakers Tuesday, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono says his government wants to resolve the conflict in Papua "in a peaceful, just and dignified manner."
Jakarta has been dealing with a sporadic separatist guerilla war in Papua since 1963, shortly after taking control of the province from Dutch colonial rule. Mr. Yudhoyono is offering "special autonomy" to Papua, and is rejecting what he calls "foreign interference" in resolving the issue.
The lower body of the U.S. Congress recently passed legislation calling for an investigation into human rights abuses by Indonesian troops in Papua.
Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.