The Commander of the Indonesian Armed Forces, General Andika Perkasa, said that he would encourage the addition of 2,000 members of the Army (AD) for the Special Autonomy Affirmation Program (Otsus) for the 2022 Fiscal Year.

This was conveyed by the TNI Commander in response to the proposed addition of 1,000 Indonesian Army personnel by the Governor of West Papua, Dominggus Mandacan, during a working visit in Manokwari, Thursday.

Andika said that additional power in the West Papua region was still very much needed, so he offered more than the West Papua Governor's proposal to 2,000 enlisted men.
 
"Although not the owner of the authority, because the owner of the authority to increase strength is the Minister of Defense (Menhan), but I will help encourage West Papua to have an additional 2000 Special Autonomy personnel next year," said Andika.
 
Andika said that the reason West Papua needed a large addition was because the Indonesian Army in West Papua was still far from 100 percent strong, and it was time for West Papua to be in line with other regions outside the island of Papua.
 
"The real strength of the TNI AD in West Papua is currently only 35 percent, while our needs here must be 100 percent," he said.
 
Therefore, continued Adika, there must be an acceleration of additions, and it cannot be limited to relying on routine recruitment programs every year because the quota is small.
 
"So I will encourage this very good initiative of the Governor, so that the shortage of 65 percent of the Indonesian Army's strength in West Papua needs to be accelerated, starting next year, at least above 50 percent," he said.

SOURCE : https://www.antaranews.com/berita/2604145/panglima-tni-push-penambahan-2000-tamtama-tni-ad-di-papua-barat