REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- President Joko Widodo said developing infrastructure and modernizing farming are the solution to old problem besetting Papua including diseases and malnutrition. Malnutrition has hit the Asmat tribal people in Papua inhabiting lowland consisting of mangrove, tidal swamp, freshwater swamp in southwestern coast of the province.

The Asmat people have strong culture and tradition that it would be difficult to persuade them to move to other safer areas, said Jokowi, who has suggested relocation of the people to more urban areas. "It turns out it is almost impossible to relocate them because of the tradition and customary law and right over lands," Jokowi said after dispatchng humanitarian aid for the Rohingya people of Myanmar at Jakarta's Halim Perdanakusuma airport on Wednesday.

The president said he has passed orders to the military and police to send a medical team to disease and malnutrition stricken areas in Papua.

He said diseases and malnutrition have attacked not only the Asmat villages but also Nduga, Yahukimo, and Dogiyai in Papua. "The terrain is difficult to reach those areas through deep jungle and swampy land. One village with a small population is located far from other villages. Don't think that it is like what you see in Java," he said.

Medical doctors are not easily available, and not all of the people are willing to be vaccinated, he said, adding budget is not the main problem. Therefore, development of infrastructure and farms for food crop is the long term solution with health care the short term step," the president said.

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