It must be said that the extent of the Indonesian response has done more to raise this issue in the public mind than anything else.

The granting of visas to the 42 boat people is clearly in contrast to the earlier tough line on boat people and the Indonesians are fully justified in seeking an explanation for the change. But if ever there was an issue that, from their perspective, should have been dealt with quietly, it is this one. If they had publicly said, "what problem"? while privately tightening screws they would have denied the Papuans a great deal of free publicity.

But having said that, this cat is now clearly 'out of the bag' and the more agitated the Indonesian response, the less control they will have over events.

The issue will not go away because both Indonesia and Australia are signatories to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which enshrines the right of all people to self determination. This right to self determination is not a 'once-only' right that the Papuans were given a token form of in 1969, but rather, an on-going right. It was also a core principle of the non-aligned movement of which Indonesia played such an important role at Bandung.
see http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/other/dfat/treaties/1976/5.html

"We will decide who comes here, and the circumstances under which they come" Yes we decided to turn the Tampa away, and to accept the West Papuans, after all there are only 300 million Indonesians, whereas we are 20 million. We could add West Papua, to New Guinea, as a block between "us and them" couldn't we?

I once had a mate who was a Flt Lt in the RAAF, he told me they have a squadron of fighters for every one of our F18's it's a comforting thought, don't you think. Was it Keating who said "They won't deal with him" in reference to JWH and his dealing's with South East Asia.

You'all feel any safer now that the great man has stumbled yet again, along with the AWB selling uranium to China, and of course China's enemy Taiwan, ah yes a government to be proud of, on ya JWH.

Papua is an integral part of Indonesia, hence any problems relating to it is Indonesian internal issue, to which foreigners have no say.

There will always be tensions between Indonesia and Australia as long as there are Australians who openly support the separatists who openly campaign for the destruction of Indonesia.

The separatist terrorists are making a lot of fuss these days because they know demographics are running against them, by now majority of population in Papua province is more than 50% transmigrants. While in West Irian Jaya province, transmigrants already made up more than 60% of the population. The fuss separatists are making these days are their last dying gasp as they realise there'll be no future for their Nazi-like ethnic-separatism once transmigrants made up majority of West Papuan population, which will happen soon. The future for Papua is one of multi-culturalism and plural ethnicities under Indonesia, the most ethnically- and religiously-diverse country in the world, whereby transmigrants will transfer their agricultural and economic skills to locals and continue developing Papua as rice-bowl of Indonesia. No force in the world can alter this natural progression of history.

To the author:

Thank you for your thought provoking article.

Proud to be Indonesian:

I have lived on this planet for 58 years. I am Aussie born. I have never ever heard any Australian conversation about Australians wanting to destroy Indonesia. Where do get such an erroneous idea? I am sincerely interested in your clarification.

Cheers
Kay

I think Australia should do more for Papua and stand by them, if Indonesia is committing atrociaties Australia should protect them. Australia has been very generous to Indonesia, without any say from the hard working tax payers, we have donated millions, if any of Papua New Guinean's suffer from Indonesia, we should help them. My father was in New Guinea during the 2nd world war, he was a medic, he spoke about the fuzzy wuzzy endearingly, and how many helped our soldiers. It seems that no matter what we do, we always have to put our hands in our pockets for Indonesia, what can we do? when they (the government and so many of the people don't like us) they seem to be rascist to the white Australians, yet they rely on our money and tourism, getting tired of the whole scene.

@kalweb:
Read the posts of fellow poster "Keith" that promotes the destruction of Indonesia.

@bluerock:
No Australian soldiers operated in West Papua during WWII, only American soldiers under General MacArthur fought the Japanese in this area (Battles of Hollandia, Biak, Noemfoor, Maffin River, Manokwari, etc). Australian soldiers only operated in their colony of PNG in role of American stooges who won the most important battles (Battles of Buna, Bougainville, Sanananda) before leaving Australians to mop-up Japanese remnants.

A few Papua New Guineans were used as slaves/auxillary by Australian soldiers, but most Papuans who lived under the Japanese happily cooperated with them (e.g. first PNG PM Michael Somare who remembered the Japanese fondly). In West Papua, there were zero anti-Japanese activities and most natives happily cooperated with Japanese soldiers in hunting down Dutch "guerillas"