Reporter: Alexandra Kirk

Eleanor Hall: To tensions with Indonesia now and the Prime Minister has this morning discounted an opinion poll, out today, which shows that more than three quarters of Australians support independence for the Indonesian province of Papua.

Mr Howard says the last thing Australia would want is a fragmenting of Indonesia, and his Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has again reassured the Indonesian Government that the Australian Government won't back any push for Papuan separatism.

But the Australian businessman who commissioned the poll has started campaigning for Papuan independence, arguing that most Australians agree with him and not the Government.

From Canberra, Alexandra Kirk reports.

Alexandra Kirk: Ian Melrose is a businessman. He says he doesn't belong to any political party, but spent a lot of money recently on television ads attacking the Federal Government for failing to treat East Timor fairly in negotiations over oil and gas rights and revenue.

Now he's shifted his attention to Papua, commissioning Newspoll to ask 1,200 people if they're personally for or against self-determination for Papuans, including the option of independence.

Ian Melrose: I think it's fairly clear to all Australians that Indonesia's occupation of West Papua is an improper and wrong occupation. It's highly probable that Indonesians' actions in West Papua will be the same or very similar to that of East Timor.

Alexandra Kirk: The survey was done the day after Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono demanded proof that Canberra respected his nation's sovereignty over the province of Papua.

The poll found 77 per cent of those questioned believed Indonesia should no longer have a role governing Papua. Only five and a half per cent supported the status quo; the rest didn't know or were undecided.

Mr Melrose says it shows most Australians don't support the Federal Government's position and he's considering campaigning for Papua. He says Papua deserves a better deal from Indonesia or should get another vote on self-determination.

Ian Melrose: I'm not happy just to sit on the couch and watch things go by and do nothing. I think somebody's got to stand up for the West Papuans' rights and it appears that the Australian politicians aren't going to do that. The reality is that the West Papuans deserve self-determination. The vote that was held in 1969 wasn't at all a fair and free vote.

Alexandra Kirk: It's a thorny issue for the Federal Government trying to get relations with Indonesia back on an even keel after Australia granted 42 Papuans Temporary Protection Visas.

On Macquarie Radio this morning, the Prime Minister was playing down the significance of the poll.

John Howard: It's a very complex and difficult issue. A comment on the poll – it depends a bit what question do you ask. If you said to people: "Do you want Indonesia to disintegrate?" you'd probably get and overwhelming majority of people saying no.

I can understand sympathy for Papuans, because there's an affinity in people's minds between the Papuans of Indonesia and the Papuans of Papua New Guinea.

Alexandra Kirk: Indonesia's Ambassador is still in Jakarta, but Embassy spokesman Dino Kusnadi says the poll is flawed. He says the question of self-determination is very outdated. The matter, he says, was finalised long ago, and just last month Papuans directly elected their own Governor.

Dino Kusnadi: Even Mr Melrose is ill advised of the current development in Papua. The issue of Papua is not the issue of self-determination. The issue of Papua is how to bring welfare, justice and human rights issues to the people of Papua.

And that issue is, I think, is being addressed with the Special Autonomy, so the issue of self-determination itself is just misleading. It brings back them to the time(?) of a different time.

Alexandra Kirk: John Howard says the treatment of Papuans isn't perfect, but he defends Indonesia, saying things have improved and Indonesia has to be given a lot of marks.

John Howard: It's the last thing we want. If you really want a problem on your doorstep, have a fragmenting Indonesia. So it is in Australia's interests that we keep a united, unified Indonesia.

Alexandra Kirk: And it's a message echoed by the Foreign Minister Alexander Downer.

Alexander Downer: Let me make it absolutely clear that the Government, and for that matter, if I may be so bold as to speak for them on this occasion, the Opposition Labor Party, support West Papua remaining part of the Republic of Indonesia and will continue to do so into the future. There's no question of there being any change of Australian Government policy in relation to West Papua's integration into Indonesia.

And it's important that we convey that message. If we didn't support West Papua's integration into Indonesia, I think there would be a real breakdown in regional security. I think it would create a crisis that would be very detrimental to Australia's interests.

Eleanor Hall: And that's the Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, ending that report from Alexandra Kirk in Canberra.