President Jokowi Departs For Papua

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) accompanied by First Lady Iriana departed for the easternmost Indonesian province of Papua on Tuesday for a working visit that will last until early next year.

The president and his entourage departed from the Halim Perdanakusuma Airbase in East Jakarta onboard the presidential aircraft RI at 3:15 p.m. local time on Tuesday.

He is scheduled to arrive at Mopah Airport in Merauke, Papua, at 7 p.m. Eastern Indonesian Time on the same day.

Earlier, National Police Chief General Badrodin Haiti had made assurance that the president's visit to Papua will be secured following last Sunday's attack on the Sinak police precinct in Puncak Jaya district, which left three police officers dead and two others injured.

The president and his entourage will visit several cities in Papua and West Papua provinces.

A member of the presidential communications team Ari Dwipayana quoted the National Police chief as saying that the attack had nothing to do with the president's planned visit to Papua.

On Tuesday, the chief of the Papua provincial police led the evacuation of the police officers shot during the incident, Haiti revealed.

The bodies of the police officers have arrived in the Papua provincial capital of Jayapura.

He remarked that the attack, which occurred during Christmas, was a rare incident.

The military and police officers are on the lookout for the perpetrators of the attack on the police precinct.(WDY)