25 March 2003    ISSUE ON PAPUA: RESPONSE TO THE ARTICLE IN TRADING POST-VANUATU ON 4 FEBRUARY 2003
Dear Sir,         I am recently in receipt of your issue of 4 February 2003, where you gave considerable space to the views of Mr Ayamiseba of the separatist Free Papua Movement and to a spokesman for Vanuatu Government on the issue of Papua. However, a number of the comments made in the article were flawed and demand a response.         Firstly, as to the assertions that the so-called Indonesian "occupation of Papua is illegal" and that the 1969 act of free choice was "a sham". Neither of these claims, that are made consistently by the separatist group, contains any substance and indeed the historical facts and authoritative documents (see, for example, the Embassy's website: www.kbri-canberra.org.au) provide indisputable evidence that the process of Irian Jaya's restoration into the Republic of Indonesia was carried out democratically and in a transparent manner with the full knowledge and consent of its people and which was ultimately recognised by the international community. These are facts, there can be no back-pedalling or a re-writing of history. The decision of the people of Irian Jaya at that time is final and irrevocable.         A second claim made was that "the process of dialogue that Indonesia professes to espouse…is nothing but a sham and (is) meant to deceive world public opinion". I should like to inform you that consultations with the Papua province are ongoing and are all encompassing, especially during and since the government extended special autonomy to the people of Papua.         It may surprise you to learn that the people of Papua contributed themselves to the drafting of these arrangements, which were carefully devised in cooperation with the Papuan people as a means for lifting the people's living standards and having regard to the preservation of Papuan culture.         The Indonesian government does not "fear the unrestrained and free expression of the West Papuan people's aspirations and opinions", as Mr Ayamiseba suggests.         What we fear most is the unfettered, uninformed and irresponsible comments by those that claim to speak on behalf of the Papuan people, but are not all representatives of them. The government of Indonesia, I should point out, has a constitutional responsibility to preserve Indonesia's territorial integrity, and will take necessary measures to that effect.
	Imron Cotan, Charge d'Affaires of the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra

 

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Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, Canberra - Australia