Indonesia's President Joko Widodo is considering an appeal to establish a new province in the Papua highlands.
Photo: AFP
The request for a third Papuan province came from community leaders and religious figures when they met the president in Wamena, the Jakarta Globe reports.
Mr Widodo responded by saying the government had placed a moratorium on the establishment of new provinces and districts, because he had received 183 proposals for new provinces, districts or municipalities.
But he said he would give special consideration to Papua's Central Mountain area.
The Central Mountain area is home to the indigenous Mee Pago and La Pago people, and it comprises 10 of the 29 districts in Papua Province.