Sadly, this part of the world has little interest to anyone, anywhere. The fact that Australia acted in East Timor is in itself counter to the normal policy of 'do nothing' in our region.

Hence the Indonesian government is still able to run riot in that part of the world , confident that there will be little interest in the torture and cruelty handed out to the local peoples.

It is of far greater interest to the likes of Gillard and Rudd before her and certainly Howard, the "man of steel", rusted somewhat these days, to comply to the demands of the US and actively pursue subservient behaviour and death for our young soldiers in far away places, none of which have any bearing on our security or well-being, just a sycophantic following of the world's #1 terrorist, America, off again on another rampage in Libya.

So, Gillard has a foreign policy that sees any activity in the region as not to her liking. She is even unable to manage an illegal boat people problem on our own territory let alone be pro-active in assisting with a solution for Papua..

Our needs are in this area, as the junction between the Pacific and the Indian Oceans and the value we could render to this part of the world could be unique. We could tailor our military purchases to suit the needs of coastal protection, aircraft that made us secure in our northern regions and bases in the tropics to give us the flexibility to address any problem in this area. However,. that is seen to be of little value to the US, having a member of ANZUS doing its own thing, under its own control and acting in its own interests. Far better for the US to see Australia conforming to their military plans for total hegemony in the whole world..

So the inhumane treatment of Papuans will hardly get any recognition from this feckless government made up of self-serving Labor machine zombies with their own comfortable seats as their only interest or motivation.

So it will always be.

Let me correct some misinformation and incorrect statements in this article:

1) The governors and district chiefs, as well as most members of the regional Parliament in Papua and West Papua provinces are ethnically native Papuans.

2) Papua is just the same like any other provinces in Indonesia. There is no special law that gave military more power over this area, their powers are just the same like in any other province.

3) The "genitalia" case was a justified response to a murderous campaign by armed barbaric separatists who murdered 13 innocent Indonesians (both Papuans and non-Papuans) during 2009 to early 2010 in the Puncak Jaya district.

4) After the short military and police operation, there has been no attacks or killings for more than one year in this area. Hence, the military operation is successful and justified.

5) Indonesia is a big fish country, the 15th largest economy in the world and the fourth largest population in the world. It has 21 billionaires, and President Obama lived here during childhood. There are more middle class people in Indonesia than the entire population of Australia. Hence, USA manages relationship with Indonesia directly and actively. USA does not involve Australia in its Indonesian relationship since Indonesia is in a different league compared with puny and unimportant Australia.

6) To satisfy Australia's wet dreams of becoming a "mini regional superpower", I think USA are willing to sub-contract mini and unimportant countries like Solomon Islands or PNG to Australia LOL. Does having some sort "hegemony" over these "countries" satisfy the "ego" of Australians? LOL

Proud to be Indonesian, and why not.

Although it is surprising the values you apply for summarising your country....billionaires; middle class numbers as high as Australia's population..... I would hope so with a population of 240 billion; President Obama having lived there, wow.

What you didn’t mention was Australia’s world rating of 6 for Quality of Life. Even the USA, Obama’s new home, rates at 13 and Indonesia at 71. Must mean something, surely, billionaires notwithstanding. The criteria being health, family life, community life, material well being, political stability and security, climate and geography, job security, political freedom and gender equality.
I may have forgotten education as well. We do give that a high priority.

So there must be some things that are different. Still doesn’t mean that your policy to Papuans is right and fair and humane, does it.
You are really the mini-superpower with the power of life and death over a whole people but you should remember the UN edict "Indigenous peoples have the right to determine and develop their priorities”.

Of course you are wrong also in your assessment that Australia has ambitions to be a mini regional superpower. However, we have fought above our weight on many occasions, World Wars and on. Yes, a lot of that may have been due to the old ‘mother country’, the once British Empire, or currently the need for Australia to be seen as a “mate” of the US, kicking a football with that ex-resident of Indonesia, Obama. But ou are welcome to him.

Respectfully, you must realise that a person like Ms Gillard wouldn’t know the location of Indonesia, just somewhere north of Cape York, over the water, somehere. She does know other places like Israel though, loves the place and jumps through hoops for the Melbourne chapter. So if Indonesia is such a low priority for this government it is because Christmas Island is taking up so much time right now. But we did give you a big hand in the Aceh disaster. Remember?

As for “puny and unimportant Australia". We like it that way.

Proud to be indonesian

I don't know what figures your using but the IMF rankings have Australia as the 13th Largest Economy by GDP, 5 Five places higher than indonesia, Our economy is almost twice the size of indonesia's.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nominal%29

If you want to compare GDP per capita, Australia is 6th, whilst indonesia is 109th. Put another way, we are 25 times wealthier per capita than indonesia. Average GDP per person in Indonesia is under 3000 dollars. The Congo, Swaziland and ElSalvador do better.
http://en.wikipedia.org wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nominal%29_per_capita

At current growth rates, Indonesia might pass Australia in terms of Total GDP in 30 years, all going well. Hardly a stunning performance from a country with nearly 10 times the population.

Rex, we also fought to make sure communists didn't ever get to run this country.

I hear Cuba is lovely this time of year, and I hear they make the right noises about the US and Israel.

Surely the general public has had its say on Israel after the green candidate made it a state issue during the NSW election. She was of course resoundingly beaten, in a defeat which was snatched from the jaws of victory.

The Israel/Palestine is a complex issue. Regardless of the rights or wrongs, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah are terrorist organisations and their morally bankrupt tactics have never been more clearly outlined than they are currently, with waves of mostly non violent protests across the middle east.

@rexw:

"What you didn’t mention was Australia’s world rating of 6 for Quality of Life. Even the USA, Obama’s new home, rates at 13 and Indonesia at 71. Must mean something, surely, billionaires notwithstanding. The criteria being health, family life, community life, material well being, political stability and security, climate and geography, job security, political freedom and gender equality.
I may have forgotten education as well. We do give that a high priority."

No wonder, Australia was basically an implant of Britain in terms of population and capital, which was the richest country in the world due to its colonial empire which depended on exploitation of half the world's population.

Meanwhile, Indonesia for centuries was a colony of Netherlands which robbed our country and remit the added value of Indonesian labourers back to Europe, while investing almost nothing to the indigenous population. Since independence, Indonesia have consistently improved the livelihood of its people to make-up for the lost centuries of colonialism. Notwithstanding the destructive effects of Dutch colonialists (who fought tooth and nail to maintain us under their rule), and the communists and radical Islamist elements of our population.

Given these challenges which Australia did not face, Indonesia have done a commendable job in improving the lives of Indonesians (literacy rate more than 90% from 5% in 1945, life expectancy up to 70 years from 35 years in 1945, etc).

"You are really the mini-superpower with the power of life and death over a whole people"

Nah, Indonesia is merely exercising legal rights over its sovereign territory. This right was won by ultimate sacrifice by thousands of Indonesians during war of independence vs the Dutch (1945-1949).

"Of course you are wrong also in your assessment that Australia has ambitions to be a mini regional superpower."

LOL just a couple of hours ago you want Australia to have "tropical military bases" like USA the superpower, but now you've changed your mind?

"However, we have fought above our weight on many occasions, World Wars and on."

Indeed Australia are always eager to sacrifice money and lives of its young soldiers to serve and satisfy Britain and USA.

"Respectfully, you must realise that a person like Ms Gillard wouldn’t know the location of Indonesia, just somewhere north of Cape York, over the water, somehere. She does know other places like Israel though, loves the place and jumps through hoops for the Melbourne chapter."

Interesting, in your opinion why should Indonesia care much about what Ms Gillard know or don't know? With regards to Israel, does Israel know or care much about Oz in return?

"I don't know what figures your using but the IMF rankings have Australia as the 13th Largest Economy by GDP, 5 Five places higher than indonesia, Our economy is almost twice the size of indonesia's."

No wonder since prices in Oz is more than 4 times more expensive than in Indonesia. US$5 in Oz can buy you a can of Coke, in Indonesia US$5 can buy you breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For a more useful comparison of living standards, use the PPP GDP and GDP per capita. Hence, we can see that Indonesia is actually a couple of positions above Australia in terms of overall size of economy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)

WRT to GDP per capita, no wonder since Indonesia has 12 times the population of Australia. If Indonesia has such low purchasing power, why does Indonesia can grow by 6% pa based solely on domestic consumption? Why does Indonesians owned 60% of Singapore's residential property? Why does almost every major multinational company open branches in Indonesia to take advantage of our "domestic consumption"?

Last time I bought a can of Coke, it cost me $1.40. Hyperbole is fine, except when trying to construct a statistical argument.

NATO this week told the Rebels that they were not there to help them win.Then why are they there? Could the oil and gas have something to do with it?

There are reports that the USA are using depleted uranium shells like they used in Iraq/Kosovo,in Libya.How is this helping the people? Will they think better with two heads and an extra eye? Bush and Obama should be charged with war crimes.Using DU is against the Geneva Convention.

Daniel Scoullar is to be congratulated on a beautifully composed, sensitive and diplomatic article. We have to set aside the old baggage and the head-banging as to who's got a bigger wallet, and address the issue. I commiserate with "Proud to be Indonesian" regarding the oppression under Dutch colonialism, but have a heart dear "Indonesian" when evaluating the plight and human rights of the West Papuans. Surely you would recognise that this territory has no sovereign, ethnic or cultural relationship with the Indonesian archepelago, or to the Indonesian people like yourself, and can therefore only be considered as being under Indonesian occupation and colonial rule. And, don't try to convince us that it is not an oppressive rule, or try to condone torture on any basis. Your history proves that your government and judiciary dance to the tune of the military. We are not like that in Oz; we are not like Giddafi or Sadaam.
We need to be grown up now, bury the old baggage, and accept that we live in a different and more advanced world, and one trying to achieve a better life for all, and greater security for all - and oppression and inhumanity have to be abhorred wherever it is found. Sure, Australia has been afraid of Indonesia for decades, and why not? when we are 20 million and they are 240 million on your doorstep, and when the government is founded on the military.
Sure, the US is our major ally, and we need them, and they are not perfect and have done some bad deeds in their time. But, I think the US is trying to reform, but even they won't take China to task over Tibet, so many reforms take time. In the meantime, we should try to be better to one another, and a peaceful withdrawal from West Papua would show great fortitude, and could help Indonesia towards many important reforms for its people and its international reputation.

@Saltpetre:

"Surely you would recognise that this territory has no sovereign, ethnic or cultural relationship with the Indonesian archepelago, or to the Indonesian people like yourself"

Well, according to UN and entire world community this territory is fully under Indonesian sovereignty. With regards to culture, this territory has centuries of relationship with other parts of Indonesia, long before Dutch rule.

"And, don't try to convince us that it is not an oppressive rule, or try to condone torture on any basis."

LOL, we don't care what you think. We merely clarify the issue and provide background information to demolish the misinformation being spread around here.

"In the meantime, we should try to be better to one another, and a peaceful withdrawal from West Papua would show great fortitude, and could help Indonesia towards many important reforms for its people and its international reputation."

Hmm, so you think we should abandon our sovereign territory as fully acknowledged by international law, which make-up 20% of our land territory and inhabited by 3.5 million people, for the sole purpose of "making ourselves look better" in your eyes? LOL, I don't think so. I don't think any country will take such "advice" seriously.

Yes Tell us Arjay.

How exactly does not helping the rebels win, but preventing Gaddafi from doing so, assis the US facists in plundering Libyan OIL. Libyan oil production has effectively ceased. Or are you now going to pretend that the US is trying to drive up the price of oil and push their economy back to recession? And swipe Libyan oil in the process?

Proud to be indonesian,

You say LOL, we don't care whaat you think."

LOL, not only do we not care, we don't believe much of anything Indonesian leaders have to say either. Most Australians don't, And your attempting to alienate the only group who might. In general Indonesia is seen as a poverty stricken, corrupt state, ruled by its military. This from the Jakarta Post. http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/03/31/quo-vadis-graft-eradication.html

Don't forget, Australia pushed Indonesia out of East Timor after they made a mess of their attempts to supress the popuation by violence and intimidation. So much for Indonesian military and diplomatic muscle. What a Joke. A big Fish? More like an overgrown guppy.

GDP by purchasing power is a great measure if you want to know how much local produce you can buy. Otherwise GDP by currency exchange rate is the appropriate measure.

@PaulL:

"LOL, not only do we not care, we don't believe much of anything Indonesian leaders have to say either."

LOL is this an infantile attempt at "retaliation"? In your opinion, why should Indonesians care about what you care/not care, or what you believe/not believe? Answer this question.

"In general Indonesia is seen as a poverty stricken, corrupt state, ruled by its military."

LOL, tell that to the Sydney/Melbourne real estate managers, Oz universities, and investors who regularly made sales pitches to Jakarta and other major Indonesian cities.

"Don't forget, Australia pushed Indonesia out of East Timor"

LOL, is this another of your masturbatory fantasy? East Timor was basically expelled from Indonesia by President Habibie, who suddenly ordered a referendum on independence in January 1999. To secure the area from East Timorese appetite for arson (which the East Timorese showed again in 2006 when they burned down 60% of Dili despite presence of Australian soldiers), Indonesia INVITED Australian soldiers to help in the transition process.

In fact, Australian commander General Peter Cosgrove praised Indonesian military since between September-November 1999, Oz and Indonesian soldiers actually patrolled TOGETHER to ensure security in ET. As we can see in 2006, Oz soldiers have been magnificently INCOMPETENT in preventing Timorese mob from burning down 60% of their own capital city Dili (including dozens of Oz businesses) LOL.

Dear "Proud to be Indonesian",
No-one doubts Indonesia is a great nation, with a lot of great people, and, though our cultures are quite different, Oz naturally respects Indonesia's sovereignty and shares various important alliances. Everyone ought also to be able to recognise how history has acted to make the Indonesian people tough, capable, resilient and proud. But, like every other nation on this planet, Indonesia is not perfect.
Habibe was a visionary and, like Bhota in South Africa and Gorbachev in the former USSR, Habibe saw the light regarding East Timor - a poor country of little promise. But, West Papua is a different story, for it has extensive resources as yet untapped by the rather backward ethnic residents - easy pickings for powerful, dominating Indonesia. Pure power-grab, as with ET, and the attempt at North Borneo (Sabah) - which chose to join Malaysia instead. Forget the chest beating, we know the truth because we are a free society.
As for our peace-keepers in ET - they were really there to protect the locals from the occasionally over-zealous Indo Military and the rebels they supported in the lead-up to the referendum.
No-one blames you for being upset about the prospect of losing a bit of territory, but, like with Tunisia, Libya etc, one day oppressed people will rebel, and visionary leaders will then make concessions, or will fall. And, if abuses are recognised by the international community, it may choose to act in retaliation - like in Bosnia?
Cool heads should prevail, and maybe one day universal peace will afford all a better life and infinite prospects.

Proud to be Indonesian,

Does your mum know you have the computer?

In response to my charge of Indonesia as a poverty stricken country, rife with corruption and ruled by the military ...

You say “tell that to the Sydney/Melbourne real estate managers, Oz universities, and investors who regularly made sales pitches to Jakarta and other major Indonesian cities.”

Yes. Lets not worry about what the Jakarta Post had to say, when we have such sterling sources as ... who? ... Syndey/Melboune real estate agents? And they said what ..? Anything which would make them money I suspect.

The Yudoyono gov’t, led by exGeneral Yudoyono is now seeking to peel back the laws against corruption.

“...the proposed amendment to the 2001 Anticorruption Law, (which) scraps the death penalty and reduces the minimum sentence to only one year. Another revision says that those convicted of embezzling less than Rp 25 million (US$28,000) in state funds can escape prosecution if they simply return the money. Jakarta Post.

WHAT? ....If you get caught and return the money, its OK. Why wouldn't you try your luck if you were a corrupt local official?

In fact, the anticorruption watchdog, the KPK, has had FIVE of its own members investigated over corruption.

And how much was it you said you get for 5 dollars? Breakfast, lunch and dinner. That’s great. Except the average middle class Indonesian has only 2 dollars to spend a day. On EVERYTHING.

“ Mohammad Ikhsan, a senior economist at the University of Indonesia, said in Jakarta on Wednesday that although the middle class had grown considerably, the majority of its members spent only about US$2.00 a day on average.” http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/03/31/larger-middle-class-does-little-economy.html

As for East Timor, you are either completely ignorant (my best guess) or you are mentally ill. Habbibie only came to office after his corrupt predecessor, the billionaire dictator General Suharto, had been overthrown in a revolution. There you go, you were right, I actually know one of Indonesia’s billionaires. Let me just count .. 1) Corruption, ... 2) military rule, ... 3)poverty. what was that charge again? ....

TBC

CONT'

Suharto, in full Presidente-For-Life style, had previously invaded and annexed East Timor in 1975 killing 5 Australian journalists in the process. Habbibie, announced the referendum, in conjunction with the UN, and Portugal, partly as a result of strong Australian pressure. He, along with many others in Indonesia wrongly thought that there was support for integration with Indonesia. This can be directly attributed to the Indonesian Army, (many of whose officers had trained at Australian military colleges) who thought that their military command of the brutal Timorese militia groups was sufficient to guarantee a pro integration vote. It wasn’t.

When a UN delegation arrived in Jakarta on 8 September, they were told by Indonesian President Habibie that reports of bloodshed in East Timor were "fantasies" and "lies". General Wiranto of the Indonesian military insisted that his soldiers had the situation under control, and later expressed his emotion for East Timor by singing the 1975 hit song "Feelings" at an event for military wives. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesian_occupation_of_East_Timor#1999_referendum

I'd suggest you watch this, the 'action' starts around the 5:45minute mark.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NYdGad-0bs

On 12 September President Habibie agreed to withdraw Indonesian soldiers and to allow an Australian-led international peacekeeping force to enter East Timor. The International Force for East Timor, or INTERFET, entered Dili on 20 September and by 31 October the last Indonesian troops had left East Timor.

Thats four days between ‘ A pack of lies’ and ‘ welcome in’. But I’m sure you can continue your masturbatory fantasy of Indonesia’s power, greatness and influence.

@Saltpetre:

"But, West Papua is a different story, for it has extensive resources as yet untapped by the rather backward ethnic residents - easy pickings for powerful, dominating Indonesia."

Wrong. West Papua became part of Indonesia since it was part of the former Dutch East Indies, later confirmed by UN General Assembly Resolution.

"one day oppressed people will rebel, and visionary leaders will then make concessions, or will fall. And, if abuses are recognised by the international community, it may choose to act in retaliation - like in Bosnia?"

LOL, unfortunately Papua is not "oppressed", some backward people there simply has too much racism and ethnic-chauvinism against anyone whose physical features is slightly different than themselves. No wonder, since they couldn't even get along with tribe from neighboring village without engaging in bloody tribal wars every year.

WRT to foreign intervention, LOL I don't think so. Even Obama went out of his way to praise unity of Indonesia from Sabang to Merauke LOL.

@paulL:

"Anything which would make them money I suspect."

LOL, of course since there are indeed too many people with excess cash in Indonesia.

"Except the average middle class Indonesian has only 2 dollars to spend a day. On EVERYTHING."

Wrong. LOL, read your article again. It says that the middle class formed 57% of the population (130 million people), further divided into:

-38.5% spends USD4 per day (50 million people)
-60.2% spends USD4-USD10 per day (78 million people)
-1.3% spends more than USD10 per day (2 million people)

If one can live well on less than USD5 per day, why should one spend more than that? LOL

No wonder Indonesia is considered as middle income country by World Bank. As of 2010, 36% of the population has annual disposable income of USD5,000-15,000.
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/EASTASIAPACIFICEXT/INDONESIAEXTN/0,,contentMDK:22851160~menuPK:50003484~pagePK:2865066~piPK:2865079~theSitePK:226309,00.html
http://cachef.ft.com/cms/s/0/3a7c963a-f335-11df-a4fa-00144feab49a.html#axzz1IEL3Jyq3

"Habbibie only came to office after his corrupt predecessor, the billionaire dictator General Suharto, had been overthrown in a revolution."

By 1998 Suharto regime has past its due date and lost support of Indonesian population, who then forced him to step down. Indonesian people no longer had confidence in his rule to solve the financial crisis of 1997-1998.

"1) Corruption, ... 2) military rule, ... 3)poverty."

Indonesia has some problems with corruption, as is every country in the world. WRT to military rule and poverty, well I think I have shown that this is not a valid "charge" LOL. There is no use in beating a dead horse.

-Indonesia has not been under military rule since 1998, as praised by entire world community LOL
-There are 200,000 people with liquid assets exceeding USD100,000 and 24,000 people with liquid assets exceeding USD1 million, and 21 people with liquid assets exceeding USD1 billion. Not very poor aight? LOL
http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.capgemini.com/insights-and-resources/by-publication/asiapacific-wealth-report-2009--english-version/&sa=U&ei=5yyVTfS3GseGcfy35cwJ&ved=0CA4QFjAA&usg=AFQjCNGBGROOmFCFKymzaAzmNxHYVxWLCg

"Habbibie, announced the referendum, in conjunction with the UN, and Portugal, partly as a result of strong Australian pressure."

LOL, Habibie made this decision because he think ET is a "worthless piece of land" producing nothing but rocks, but sucking in too much central govt subsidies.

"He, along with many others in Indonesia wrongly thought that there was support for integration with Indonesia."

Wrong. LOL, actually Habibie made many speeches in early 1999 telling Indonesian people that ET is worthless and hence need to be expelled so they would not burden Indonesian govt budget which at that time was suffering economic crisis.

"Thats four days between ‘ A pack of lies’ and ‘ welcome in’"

LOL, Indonesia was going to withdraw from ET according to our own timetable (November 1999). If Ozzie tourists would want to visit ET to accompany our soldiers for two months, why not? Indonesia is always the hospitable host, in fact we provided the accomodation and transportation for Oz soldiers. In fact, General Cosgrove in his farewell speech to Indonesian soldiers kindly thank us for our hospitality and in fact reimbursed some of our costs.

"But I’m sure you can continue your masturbatory fantasy of Indonesia’s power, greatness and influence."

LOL, I suggest you to reduce your excessive masturbatory fantasy of "heroic" Oz soldiers. Fact is, Oz soldiers has proved to be hilariously incompetent in preventing 60% of Dili being burned down by its own population in 2006 LOL.

for the Australian who says Papuan had no connection at all with Indonesian, I want to ask you, Is white people/westerners had a relations with the Melanesia/aboriginal people?, why you took up land of aboriginal people?, Australia is not owned by white people like you! but aboriginal people!... that why you speak just like a rubbish, which can only intervene in the affairs of other nations, without introspect your own country!...

Papua is one of several subgroup of Austronesian or the black malay, NOT Caucasian!

These articles show the differences between us!, and you must know who we are, and who you are, we have no connection at all with Caucasian people!. Austronesian (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austronesian_people), white people (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caucasian_race), and mongoloid (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongoloid_race)... so stop talking about human rights, because you (white people) actually are peoples who don't ever respect human rights...

IndiesPeople,

I'm not the least interested in insulting the Indonesian people. They demonstrate a lot of good points - and it's not the affluence (cash) that is paramount (as "Proud to be Indonesian" infers). It's the humanity, the integrity, the honesty and the industriousness (willingness to work hard for an honest living) that really determine the quality of a peoples or culture. I am satisfied that the Indonesian people in general and as a culture demonstrate these important attributes, and represent a strong and advanced democratic nation.

However, Indonesia as a nation still has a few problems - from both Western and Asian points of view. A broad observation would suggest that the Indonesian military holds rather more power in its decision-making and undertakings than would be tolerated in the U.S., Australia or Singapore, for example; and the courts and legal-system appear perhaps somewhat open to corruption and to undue external influence (be it from government, the military, or the very rich). There are lots of countries far worse off of course - take the Ivory Coast for example, or, worse still, Somalia - but then of course they don't purport to be as advanced and democratic as Indonesia does.

(To be continued.)

(Continuation.)

IndiesPeople,

As for the primary issue - that of Indonesia's right to occupy the territory of West Papua - this is not unlike China's occupation of Tibet. Both occupations are generally held in the West to be unjustified, abusive and corrupt. Still, the Western view is not holding much sway in convincing either of these two governments to revise their position and grant independence to these territories. So much for Western influence.

You contend that, as we Western Occupation immigrants, and immigrant descendants, have virtually no ethnic or cultural relationship to the Australian Aborigines, that we should pack up and go home. Sorry, but that is a very poor argument, because we Occupiers have been in residence for rather a long time (220+ years), and have never suggested we are related in any way to the indigenous population. In that at least we are honest occupiers.

Conversely, Indonesia has occupied WP in only recent times, by stealth, and with not the least interest in liberating or benefiting the native population. You contend Indonesia has an ethnic kinship with the WP indigenous people. What a load of absolute rubbish. Sure, we are all related - from far in the African past - and that is fairly near Indonesia's ethnic or cultural relationship to the WP people.

Indonesia has good points, but is far too arrogant, and ultimately needs to take a more realistic and honest approach to its international responsibilities in respect of West Papua.

"you (white people) actually are peoples who don't ever respect human rights..."

What a racist, abusive and unsubstantiated statement. I hope you, IndiesPeople, don't hope to be taken seriously when conversing with intelligent people, because you have just proven yourself to be the non-white equivalent of a bigoted redneck, whatever that may be.