Proud to be Indonesian- Thankyou for you invitation to posters to do some research. I'm sure wre is itching to reply to you but i'll beat him to it...

West Papua was discovered by a Spaniard in 1545. It was inhabited by a people of negritos/ melanesian ancestory and not by mongloids as what is now Java was. There are no cultural or linguistic similarities yet Sukarno chose to annex the country.

Armed conflict broke out in West Papua in 1962 when the Dutch denied that Sukarno had any legitimate claim to West Papua. In an attempt to resolve the situation the UN formed UNTEA under the New York Agreement. Indonesia seized the administration of UNTEA and in 1969 held a 'vote' of 1025 people under the supervision of the TNI. The UN representatives sent to observe the 'vote' reported in writing "serious violations of the New York agreement" by Indonesia. Unfortunately the world was too wrapped up in Vietnam to resist Indonesias violent occupation.

The Freeport mine itself is worth $USD40 billion of which Indonesia gains 20% of the profits. Foreign mining companies gain the rest. The Indonesian treasury itself reports that the timber, oil and minerals in West Papua form the bulk of its foreign exchange earnings. You maintain 'West Papuans are treated very well by Indonesia'. Of the 27 provinces of Indonesia West Papua has the poorest health standards and lowest litteracy levels.

Most observers hold the TNI responsible for the murder of those teachers in 2002, just as most hold the TNI responsible for the murder of 5 journalists in East Timor in 1974. As for your observations regarding Terra nullius, if the same principle was invoked by Indonesian law, it would bring the very legitimacy of the entire Indonesian state into question as well. I am not a war monger as you appear to be, but most observers consider the TNI an embarrassment and the Kopassus more inclined to murdering civilians than taking on the SAS.

anyone want to bet 'proud to be indonesian' works at the indonesian consulate?

a press release if i ever heard one.

In relation to these West Papuans that every commenter seems to have lost sight of recently:

Does no one think that it is ironic and stupid of the Howard government to ship a bunch of West Papuans to an island about 200 km directly south of Jakarta (the capital of Indonesia)?

What do we Australians expect the TNI to do with such a red flag flying in the face of such a stupid act? Sit on their bums and do nothing?

Does anyone think that these West Papuans are safe on Christmas Island? Does our government think that the guards they employ to keep people in will keep TNI out?

If all of the West Papuans were shot, in a raid by some unknown people, would our or the Indonesian government own up to it being the TNI?

LinM

I think the simply solution for both nations is to allow an Australian migrant centre to open up in the area on the basis of there being demand. This way people who want out can do so safely and with grace and dignity and the dilemma facing the improved relations between Indonesia and Australia can be futher improved by acceptance by both sides there is just some people who cannot tolerate Islamic cultures being forced on them.

There should be no reason to allow these boat trips. We are not at war with Indonesia. We don't know if they want to stay here as refugees or just want to get to PNG. I heard this was the destination but was impossible with border patrol and mountains.

Tony, You lost me with the assertions that "Much of the border authorities’ rage will come from their having been so comprehensively outwitted by West Papuans in an outrigger canoe."

Luck would have played a much greater hand than any forward planning of the 43 refugees. To elevate their standing by positioning the Federal government in a 'keystone cops' role does little more than acknowledge your bias politically.

I believe that they should be allowed to stay. Not to be used as opportunistic fodder for anti-Liberal sentiment but because it is the right thing to do in this case.

Having said that, I also recognise the need for border security and it is the balance between humanitarian assistance and border maintenance that is a very difficult line to draw.

The 'let everyone in, anytime they choose' ideology falls far short of the reality of a world where there are many who would take advantage of weakness in policy and enforcement.

"Proud to be Indonesian", you must be kidding.

Preliminary reports by Indonesian police indicated that it was the Indonesian Military who killed the teachers near the Freeport Mine.

But of course the police were directed not to continue with that line of investigation.

Telephone intercepts by Australian intelligence indicate that the military were involved.

If anyone wants to look past the 'official' line you can jump to:

http://www.abc.net.au/ra/asiapac/programs/s1548865.htm

By the way, some of us are old enough to remember the Konfrontasi and the war of aggression waged by Indonesia, in which it claimed the right to Borneo. Not to mention the invasion of East Timor.

And the fact that Indonesians were educated in the 1950s and 1960s to believe that the north of the Australian mainland was territory that was rightfully Indonesian.