Adam Henry – The enigmatic Jakarta Lobby is "... an informal group of like-minded people who regard Indonesia as a special case".

Mark Forbes in Senggigi, Lombok – With two signatures and a handshake, Indonesia and Australia have proclaimed a new era of closer relations with a treaty aimed at ending a roller-coast

Bogor – Hardline Indonesian Islamic groups are considering launching a no-confidence motion against President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono over US President George W.

Indonesia said it was confident Australia will no longer be used as a staging post for separatist groups following the signing of a historic security pact.

Indonesia and Australia will sign a new treaty on Monday aimed at smoothing prickly ties through greater security cooperation, and underlining support for Jakarta's sovereignty over res

Indonesia is hoping a new security treaty with Australia will uphold the sovereignty of both countries, including restive areas such as Papua, Indonesia's Foreign Minister Hassan Wiraju

Karen Michelmore – The Federal Government has given a clear commitment under a new security pact to oppose Indonesian separatist movements, including those operating within Australia, I

Andra Jackson – Australia was "killing off" democracy in Papua with its impending treaty with Indonesia, a Papuan leader has said in Melbourne.

The Australia West Papua Association spokesperson Joe Collins expressed grave concerns at the new security treaty with Indonesia.

Mark Forbes, Jakarta – Australia will help Indonesia develop a nuclear program, conduct joint border protection patrols, expand military and intelligence ties and agree to suppress Papu

Reporter: Lynn Bell

Jakarta – Indonesian Defence Minister Juwono Sudarsono said political or military issues would not be discussed during US President George W. Bush's impending visit.

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – Representatives of the Bogor municipal administration in West Java province, the police and Indonesian Military (TNI) have been holding a number of meetings

Paul Kelly – The Howard Government must rethink its policy towards Papua to prevent tensions or even hostilities with Indonesia and to terminate the myths that underwrite our public sym

Malcolm Cook and Ivan Cook – Unlike people, countries cannot choose their next-door neighbours or the neighbourhood they live in.

Andra Jackson – Thirty-seven years ago former Papuan politicians Clemens Runawery and Wim Zonggonau boarded a plane on an urgent mission that might have changed the political fate of th

Hamish McDonald – Political leaders in Canberra and Port Moresby want the voices of a diplomatically awkward rebellion buried in East Awin, Papua New Guinea, a settlement in a vast and

John McBeth – For three years now, the small white house across the street from the football field in the heart of the frontier town of Atambua has been used as a mess by Indonesia's pa

Cath Hart and Samantha Maiden – John Howard has pulled the plug on his controversial migration bill to avoid facing a defeat in the Senate.

Tom Hyland – The Indonesian Army manipulated the voyage to Australia of 43 West Papuan asylum seekers in a secret pyschological warfare operation that gave Jakarta a diplomatic and stra

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Jakarta – One of Indonesia's most senior officials has admitted that his country was directly responsible for failing to stop the murderous chaos that accompanied i

Reporter: Geoff Thompson

Abdul Khalik, Kuala Lumpur – In an attempt to reduce outside influence over its eastern territories, especially Papua province, and to limit the danger of separatism, Indonesia on Wedne

Cynthia Banham in Paris and Phillip Coorey on Bantam Island – The Prime Minister says he welcomes the resignation of the East Timorese Prime Minister, Mari Alkatiri, if it meant an end

Dennis Shanahan, Batam – Australia and Indonesia are expected to take a giant leap forward in restoring relations today with a statement of common principles and an accelerated timetabl

Brendan Nicholson – A new security treaty with Jakarta will include an assurance that Australia respects Indonesia's integrity – including its ownership of West Papua – says Prime Minis

Rohan Pearce – While not many details about the "security treaty" being negotiated between Canberra and Jakarta have been made public, the Howard government has indicated that it will i

Australia West Papua Association spokesperson Joe Collins expressed grave concerns at the proposed new security treaty with Indonesia and in particular at the Indonesian demand for a cl

Laurent Lozano, Washington – "We did have an opportunity to talk extensively about some of the challenges in our immediate region," Howard said after the talks, adding that he highlight

Mark Forbes, Jakarta – Indonesia has praised Australia's new stance against Papuan asylum seekers, indicating a thaw in the diplomatic freeze imposed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyo

Greens leader Bob Brown has called for the resignation of Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone after she accused Papuan separatists of racism.

West Papua solidarity groups today welcomed law firm Mallesons Stephen Jacques's legal action against the Howard Government and claim the proceedings will highlight undue and unlawful i

Mark Forbes – Indonesia's ambassador to Australia has blamed the Uniting Church for fomenting unrest in West Papua and criticised Canberra's response in comments likely to inflame the c

Prime Minister John Howard and Opposition Leader Kim Beazley have misjudged public support for Papuan independence, The Greens said.

Reporter: Alexandra Kirk

Canberra – Prime Minister John Howard assured Indonesia Sunday that he does not support the separatist movement in Papua after an Australian newspaper crudely lampooned the Indonesian p

Jakarta – Indonesia has described as "tasteless" a caricature in an Australian newspaper depicting President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as a dog.

Michael Vatikiotis, Singapore – It was a potentially sticky situation.

One of Indonesia's biggest-selling newspapers has depicted John Howard and Alexander Downer as a pair of sex-crazed dingoes, dragging media outrage over the Papua visa row down to a new

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – Fears that Canberra is stoking support for Papua to break away from Indonesia sparked Jakarta's strong reaction last week to Australia granting visas to Papu

Damian Kingsbury – Australia's decision to grant 42 West Papuan asylum seekers temporary protection has put the relationship with Indonesia under its most serious strain since the East

Canberra – Australia tried to soothe ties with Indonesia on Monday after granting asylum to 42 boat people from the country's troubled Papua province and as media reported more Papuans

Tony Blair MP
Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
London SW1A 2AA

26 March 2006

Dear Prime Minister,

Your visit to Indonesia: Concerns about West Papua

Sydney – The Australian government must take the issue of Papua's right to self-determination to the United Nations, the Greens say.

Jakarta – Indonesia has recalled its ambassador to Australia amid a furore over Canberra's decision to grant temporary visas to 42 asylum seekers from restive Papua province.

Greens Senator Kerry Nettle has urged Prime Minister John Howard and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer to press Indonesia for an end to violence in West Papua.

Washington – Australia's top diplomat in the US has delivered a rousing speech in support of Indonesia and criticised the motives of fighters for the independence of Papua.

Port Vila – In the 1960s, the Government of the USA shamefully sold out West Papua as a bribe to Indonesia for its cooperation in halting the spread of communism in Southeast Asia and t

Havana – President Fidel Castro has confirmed that Cuba is prepared to receive another 400 young people from Timor Leste for medical training, and to extend the new literacy method Yo s

New Delhi – India and Indonesia, Asia's largest democracies, agreed Wednesday to forge closer defense and economic ties and cooperate in fighting terrorism, Indonesia's president said.