Papuans to take referendum demands to Indonesian President

Indonesian President Joko Widodo says he’s willing to meet West Papua leaders this week to discuss their demands for an independence referendum.

The offer comes as protests in West Papua enter a second week, with calls for the United Nations to investigate the deteriorating situation.

The Indonesian Government has blocked internet access to West Papua and deployed more than 1,000 troops to the province.

Warnings of an Indonesian crackdown come just weeks before Joko Widodo is inaugurated as president for a second term.

Guest: Andreas Harsono, Indonesia researcher, Human Rights Watch, and author of Race, Islam and Power: Ethnic and Religious Violence in Post-Suharto Indonesia

Source: ABC Net