Spot on Tony. The Indonesian request to send the Papuans back without any respect for our international obligations merely highlights Indonesia's lack of respect for it's own obligations to the Papuans. Grovelling to thugs is an open invitation for trouble.

And given the demonstrated history of belligerent Javanese expansionism, it may well be time for us to have a good long look at whether a single Indonesia is really in our long term national interests.

Granting the 42 Papuans who slunk illegally onto our shores was the height of stupidity, and it is impossible to appease Indonesia for that insult.

The important thing for Australia is that Howard has stiffened his spinal column and moved to keep illegals, Papuans and any others used to our hitherto weakness, out of our country.

“Threatened” and “blackmailed” (by Indonesia) is pretty strong stuff. But it is obvious that Indonesia has certainly put the hard word on Australia – don’t treat us with contempt, or you will pay with the withdrawal of vital cooperation in areas of country-hopping illegals and terrorism.

Indonesia has something we need, as we have something Indonesia needs. Mutual interest and back scratching keeps countries friendly with each other. If Howard has to suck up a little to Indonesia, so he damn well should. And he will be very lucky if he manages to fully repair the damage done to the relationship by the granting of TPVs to a bunch of illegal renegades and show ponies from West Papua.

Still, the “humanitarian” Tony Kevin thinks that John Howard should tell Indonesia how to put its house in order, but Indonesia must not say boo to Australia; nor should Australia ‘appease’ Indonesia.

Double standards to push your own agenda, Tony.

Under International Law if someone "requests political assylum" it must be given as a first step and investigated as a second step.

Australia under Howard does whatever it can to undermine this process putting our International image at risk.

Do you deny that the Indonesians can be ruthless authoritarians?

The secret here is that in the end under oppression people rise up and want independence. Do you think the simple request to become an Independent country is worthy of vigorous oppression?

The Indonesians need to change their ways and govern for all of their constituents fairly and evenly and this would reduce seperatist movements.

If Indonesia could modify it's ways and treat their citizens better many of the problems it suffers would go away.

In the modern world there is no longer a place for ruthless oppression as a method of treating people.

The Assylum seekers are genuine refugees and to call them illegal (or the horrid words "boat people")as a first step are not the words of a modern compassionate society.

Please at the very minimum put yourself in the position of those people and walk in their shoes before you start judging them too harshly.

If you haven't been oppressed you probably don't understand oppression. If you haven't been tortured or beaten you probably don't understand torture and beatings. If you haven't had your rights taken from you, you probably don't understand powerlessness.

Anyone can talk tough... but can Australians be compassionate?

Allowing refugees into our country without attempting to solve the cause of the refugees is ridiculous policy.
It is simply a very cruel and incompetent immigration programme which provides us with the shattered few who have survived while ignoring the many who have died.
If a government creates refugees who have a legitimate fear of persecution, then that Government has forfeited their right to be treated as legitimate.Papua NOT Irian Jaya should be immediately quarantined from the Javanese Empire to save lives.

Tony Kevin writes; “But these policies send a wrong message not only to a fairly benign Indonesian Government but also to darker, extreme nationalist elements. The message is that an Australian government can be threatened - indeed blackmailed - into abandoning essential values and interests.”

No!

These policies show that Australia is willing to listen to Indonesian concerns and move the policy balance accordingly, which is perfectly fair and reasonable. If this sort of thing was to keep happening, in ways that were clearly in Indonesia’s interests and against Australia’s, then perhaps there could be an interpretation of threat, blackmail, caving-in, etc.

The tightening of border-protection with respect to West Papua is very much in Australia’s interests as well as Indonesia’s, and is also in the interests of the West Papuans. If anyone wants to take me up on that point, I will elaborate.

“The moral of the story: appeasement only generates further demands. Instead, Canberra should tell Jakarta: ‘You have a problem in Papua because you are not sufficiently respecting the rights of the people there to civil liberties and a fair share of their natural resources. Until you redress these wrongs, you will continue to have insurgency and refugee problems. If refugees seek protection here, we have no alternative but to consider their claims fairly and without political interference.’ “

So-called appeasement helps generate good relations, which everyone must surely agree are pretty damn important with Indonesia. Further demands will get treated on their own merits.

Canberra IS telling Jakarta this sort of thing about problems in West Papua

We are not used to doing what Indonesia's President tells us to do, that situation is usually reserved for the U.S.A President. Anyway, little Johnny Bonsai, has made yet another mistake, of monumental proportions.