TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) recorded eight cases of violence in Papua between July 5 and August 3. â??The situation is worrying for the future and peace in Papua,â? Kontras coordinator Haris Azhar said on Sunday.

He said the cases included the shooting of the Indonesian Army on July 5, a gun fight between the soldiers and an armed group, a shooting at Puncak Jaya, the clash during the regional head elections and the helicopter shooting on August 3. At least 15 civilians were harmed in the shootings, while 19 were wounded in the election tensions and nine soldiers were shot. Overall, as many as 25 civilians and a soldier were killed while eight soldiers and 10 civilians were wounded.

Haris said the condition had worsened because the central government still employed old military tactics. The Indonesian Armed Forces and the police also accused armed civilian groups in Papua without adequate conducting an investigation, he said.

The conflicts should have been resolved through dialogues with local leaders, said Haris. â??Papua consists of many tribes so we must communicate with the local leaders. On the other hand, the Armed Forcesâ?? involvement intensified the heat in Papua.

Haris said the government should take responsibility for the string of attacks and urged the president to coordinate with the ministers in the government to deal with the conflicts.