Pro-independence groups in Papua have issued an urgent call for immediate assistance from Australia to help stop escalating violence in the Indonesian province. A total of six people have been killed in the past week in fighting between supporters and opponents of a plan by Jakarta to divide the province into three.
John Ondowame claims they are part of a government strategy to undermine the province's long-running separatist movement.
Presenter/Interviewer: Sonya De Masi
Speakers: Dr John Ondowame, international spokesman of the Free Papua Movement (OPM); Dr Richard Chauvel, head of Asian and International Studies, Victoria University; Senator Bob Brown, Australian Greens
De Masi: The Indonesian government last week suspended plans to divide the province of Papua into three, after days of sustained street fighting in the town of Timika. The clashes, in which at least four people were killed and scores more wounded, followed the inauguration of the new province of Central Papua. After the violence, Jakarta announced it would review its plans before deciding whether to continue with the process of partition. But now there are reports of fresh violence and rising tensions, with at least two people killed and four more wounded.
Dr John Ondowame, is the international spokesman of the OPM, the Free Papua Movement.
Ondowame: I believe this is a result of provocation by the Indonesian military using local people to raise this sort of social unrest in Timika region. In my view the Indonesian government must take responsibility for what happened in Timika, and similar situations that have occurred in the past.
De Masi: Dr Ondowame has appealed for immediate assistance from Australia's Foreign Affairs Minister, Alexander Downer.
Ondowame: I'm calling on the Australian government, particularly Mr Downer to immediately intervene in this situation and send a fact-finding mission to West Papua to monitor the situation closely and take steps to avoid further escalation of ethnic and religious conflict. In the absence of international monitoring groups, there will be no hope that we can restore security in the region.
De Masi: Dr Ondowame says the situation threatens to imitate the 1999 post-referendum violence in East Timor, between pro-independence and pro-Indonesian supporters. His warning has been echoed by Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown...
Brown: The Australian government should offer Jakarta the hand of mediation or any other assistance, and request a fact-finding mission because its a tinder box
De Masi: Why should Australia get involved again in something in Indonesia's backyard?
Brown: Well, this is in Australia's front yard. West Papua is part of the Pacific. We've just deployed 2000 troops to help the Solomon Islanders and as a good neighbour we should be offering help to Jakarta and the West Papuans.
De Masi: The latest violence in Timika appears to be between indigenous Papuans from the Amungme tribe and the migrant community. Reports in the Indonesian media and by human rights groups say the two people killed were Muslims from South Sulawesi. Papuan pro-independence groups say migrants from other parts of Indonesia are among supporters of the plan to create three new provinces.
Ondowame: This is an Indonesian orchestrated event. The policy of division of West Papua into three provinces is introduced by Indonesian military services, to undermine special autonomy law. Not surprisingly, most migrants support the policy of division.
De Masi: Dr Richard Chauvel is the head of Asian and International Studies at Victoria University. He says the initial confict in Papua was between groups for and against the province's division, but this has now shifted to clashes between indigenous Papuans and migrants. But he says although the pattern of conflict might have changed, it's clear the Indonesian government has not successfully managed its plans for the province.
Chauvel: The violence we've seen in teh last week or so has clearly occurred in the context of policy confusion emanated from jakarta since President Megawati issued her Presidential instruction to speed up the partition of province into three. Many Papuan political figures and Indonesian commentators have seen that desire to partition in conflict with government's previous centrepiece of special autonomy.