Down to Earth No. 47, November 2000
Indonesian and foreign companies continue to profit from West Papua's resources as the military resumes its tough line with the independence movement.
Signs of a new get-tough policy in West Papua were confirmed when an estimated 3,700 additional troops were dispatched to the territory in early August. These included 1,700 troops from the mobile brigade police force, notorious for its brutal suppression of dissent. Most troops have been sent to Jayapura, Merauke and Timika regions.
