I sometimes think we Aussies have a death wish.... we surely seem to have our cultural blinkers on for sure...

Diplomatic Blunder number 1 would be to say things in public which are best kept to private interaction between governments.

One has to have experienced causing Asians to 'loose face' to know just how intensely they feel it. The malay word 'meng-amok' is a verb from the english 'amok' and it means to suddenly go beserk when things pile up on you too much. Then, people go from benign to ultra angry and violent in a split second.

Just imagine how we would feel if some little group in Darwin decided they wanted independance from Canberra and started hacking up the NT police..then ran off to Indonesia and holed up there with the protection of the government.. errr wouldn't we feel they were supportive of such a movement ?

I have total sympathy for the West Papuan cause, but disagree with some manifestations of it, trying to use Australia as some kind of big stick with which to beat up the Indo government. If we Aussies don't like their policy, we should say so clearly and take the consequences, which will SURELY be a FLOOD of assylum seekers given a bit of a prod (like an ak47 in their backs) from the Indo government.

Thats how they work, rather than scream and yell at us, they feel 'actions' speak louder than words.

I guess we are wondering now 2 things:

1/ Should we have given so much aid after the Tsunami ?

2/ Do they actually care if we do or not ? (why not give it to the 10,000 Christian homes destroyed in the Jihad Tsunami in Sulawesi ?)

Its so difficult being friends with those who are doing rotten SOB things to their own population..like the displacement through transmigration, the dilution of culture and the promotion of Islam etc in a predominantly Christian area....

decisions...decisions..

Indonesia has no interest in "intervening" in Australian domestic affairs, just like Australia has no right to intervene in Indonesian domestic affairs like transmigration or religious issues.

We are merely demanding justice! As good neighbours, Australia should not shelter violent criminals who will be shooting at its neighbours' house with AK-47s. Use your common sense! When we asked for Australia NOT to shelter Papuan separatists, we want Australia to stop being source of security threat to our country Indonesia. Only enemy of Indonesia would allow itself to become a base for violent criminals to commit murderous violence on Indonesian citizens. If Indonesia is Israel/USA, Indonesia would have bombed Australia and send agents to assassinate separatists sheltering there!

@BOAZ_David:

Indonesia never say anything about the physical and cultural genocide on Aborigines, you must be lunatic to think you have the right to tell Indonesians where to live in their own country and what religion they should follow.

@Perseus:

LOL, you little fool. Are you threatening Indonesia? What a joke.

Don't dream your little country will be able to "destroy" Indonesia. Australia couldn't even stop thousands of Indonesian fishermen from annually fishing and landing for R&R at Australian mainland at will, you have no capacity to disturb Indonesian territory.

Australia is just a stooge of USA. Your govt will follow whatever foreign policy USA dictates. USA is a good friend of Indonesia since the our war of independence, President Bush called us "important ally against terrorism". Australia will always respect Indonesian integrity accordingly, and I suggest immature boys like you to start taking your role as the loyal US lap-dogs you are and follow what Bush and Howard tell you.

I think you should start using your brain before making comments, boy. Suggesting Australia to go to war with 250 million Indonesians is the most stupid thing I've read in this forum so far.

The moment some moron outfitted these refugees, even the children, with brand new T-Shirts demanding West Papuan independence, presumably for the benefit of the TV cameras, these refugees lost any claim to the moral high ground.

To flee pursecution is one thing, to use Australia as a safe haven for a political purpose is another. Seeing the footage of all of these people wearing politically slogans was just too much of a cynical ploy for me.

Nothing cheers up a well travelled 51 year old like being called a "boy" by Proud TBI. And his emotive leap from my suggestion that a re-examination of what might be in Australia's best interests to his response to an assumed declaration of war is testimony to his own lack of balance and reason.

Aside from all his froth and spittle, it is really a simple question for all australians. Is it better to have one big ugly thug for a neighbour or a mean little punk and a number of poor but honest friends as neighbours?

But as I have said before, it is not the choice of Australians or of the Javanese, it is the choice of the Papuans, Suluwesis, Dayaks, Balinese and Bataks. And if the Javanese can really offer them the best, fairest and most equitable future then they will accept it through free choice.

If Java can offer a good marriage then Indonesia will stay together. If they can only offer a bad marriage then they have no right to hold the marriage together by force and even less right to complain about any divorce.

It is clear to most observers that Indonesia is currently an abusive disfunctional household.

Yes!

Well said Perseus.