MINISTER BAKRIE TO MEET PAPUA REBEL LEADER

Timika, Papua, Sept. 9 (ANTARA) - Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie was scheduled to meet Tadius Yogi, the commander of the separatist OPM (Free Papua Organization) in Enarotali, Paniai District, on Wednesday morning.

The planned meeting was actually not the main agenda of Bakrie's visit in Papua because he had come to officially kick off a housing complex construction at Madi, Enarotali.

"However, I was informed that he (Tadius Yogi) is now ill so the meeting might not take place," Bakrie told the press here on Tuesday evening.

Bakrie said he was ready to meet the OPM leader and he preferred to conduct a welfare approach in dealing with separatists, hoping that they would one day decide to return to the community again as Indonesian nationals.

Therefore, the people's welfare ministry had decided to provide free houses and supporting facilities to former members of OPM, he said.

Last Monday (Sept. 8), Minister Aburizal Bakrie presented 390 houses and supporting facilities to former OPM members in Pegunungan Bintang and Lani Jaya districts, Papua province.