Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Anyone who thinks the discussion on Papuan independence is over should listen to Hans Gebze and other young Papuans.

"We're not feeling like free people. We are still poor and alienated while many of us experience injustice on our home soil. So how can we rule out trying for independence?" Hans, a member of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI), said on the sidelines of a seminar on Papua here Tuesday.

More than 100 Papuans attended the seminar, which quickly turned into a forum for the Papuans to express their disappointment with Jakarta's policies.

The purpose of the seminar was to discuss the situation in Papua since the establishment of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua (IPWP), a caucus that aims to gather support for Papua from the international community. The group's ultimate aim is a self-determination referendum for Papua.

The Indonesian government has dismissed the organization, established in London on Oct. 15, as nothing more than a tiny collection of Papuans who lack international support.

Papuan member of the Regional Consultative Council (DPD), Ferdinanda Ibo Yatipai, said she could understand the animosity as Jakarta had treated Papua unfairly. She was referring to alleged human rights violations against Papuans and exploitation of Papua's natural resources for the enrichment of Jakarta.

"We must unite to support the IPWP. Where's the money the government said had been given to the Papuans? We must find the embezzlers of the funds," she told the seminar.

Rights activist Syamsudin Radjab talked about the failure of the special autonomy for Papua since its inception in 2001. "We estimate Rp 26 trillion in special autonomy funding has been given to Papua since 2001. But many Papuans aren't enjoying it. The government must explain where the money has gone," he said.

Syamsudin urged the government to initiate a comprehensive program that involved all stakeholders, such as NGOs and Papuan leaders, while opening a national dialogue to address Papua's problems. "Indonesia must learn from the Timor Leste lesson. We can't pretend that everything is OK down there in Papua," he said.

Ibo said the IPWP had been established because Papuans were no longer able to make themselves heard by the government. "We established a special committee for Papua at the DPD. But when we wanted to hold a dialogue with the President, the DPD chairman simply told us he did not want to attend the event. What can we do?" Ibo said.

University of Indonesia international relations expert Hariyadi Wirawan said the threat of disintegration was real. He said Papua today looked like Timor Leste before the 1999 referendum when the government believed the province would remain with Indonesia.

"That's why the government can't solve the problems in Papua with military might or by sending more and more soldiers to the provinces. Instead, the government must gather sociologists, anthropologists and NGOs to help them find the root causes of the problems," he said.