Reporter: Geoff Thompson
A group of Papuan separatists says it is planning another exodus of asylum seekers to Australia, to follow the 42 who were given temporary shelter earlier this year. Transcript.
Tony Jones: Well, the Federal Government has expressed concern about suggestions of a new exodus of refugees from the Indonesian province of Papua. Papuan dissidents say they're planning a new voyage after the success of an earlier one which led to 42 people being given temporary shelter in Australia. Indonesia correspondent Geoff Thompson gained rare access to the separatist movement in Jayapura to file this report.
Geoff Thompson: On the edge of Jayapura a celebration of the Papua Indonesia does not want you to see. A few years ago, a secret little gathering like this would be an occasion to raise the Morning Star flag of Papua's independence movement. Now, a small separatist gesture is all that is dared. But there is a new hope here. 42 Papuans have been accepted by Australia as our neighbour, says Papuan customary council spokesman Willy Mandowen. It's the first time in history. What's going on? It's a sign of God's blessing, he says, that the Papuan struggle is in his plan. Australia's decision to grant temporary protection to 42 Papuans was part of a plan. One carefully organised over the last three years, with the help of the West Papua national authority's Edison Waromi.
Edison Waromi: This is very encouraging for the Papuan people who are being pursued and intimidated. They can just go together to the kangaroo continent until Papua's problem, independent Papua's political status can be resolved fairly and peacefully.
Geoff Thompson: The extent of human rights abuses by security forces in Papua range from claims of pervasive low level violence to allegations of genocide.
Francesca Lawe-Dowls: It's still quite hard to gauge in some ways, because of the well known access problems. It's more a problem of a cultural of impunity among the security forces which leads to sporadic eruptions of violence than it is a systematic campaign to wipe out Indigenous Papuans as some groups would allege.
Geoff Thompson: Any thorough journalistic probing inside Papua is far from encouraged by the Indonesian Government. Permission to travel here is rarely granted, and when it is journalists' movements around the province are strictly controlled and keenly observed. Even talking to known independence supporters or human rights activists in Papua is enough to get journalists with correct permits detained by police. But Willy Mandowen hopes the wind will change by the end of this year.
Willy Mandowen: We think we are on the right track. Again in the past, we do it publicly but today we want to do it silently when the time comes for the right wind, we will sail.
Geoff Thompson: Edison Waromi warns that another boat of asylum seekers will sail some time, too.
Edison Waromi: I can say there will be more people leaving, but I can't yet confirm what day and what time, because if I say then Jakarta will surely monitor the Southern Waters and the borders of Jayapura. But I will say there will be an exodus.
Geoff Thompson: In the face of these warnings Prime Minister John Howard says he's concerned about possible misuse of the refugee system by Papuan separatists.
John Howard: If people are trying to manipulate the system, then it will mean ever closer scrutiny of any asylum applications in the future.
Geoff Thompson: Despite the separatist claims, there's no evidence that any exodus is imminent.
[Additional reporting: Mark Dodd.]