Australia, RI and Papua

Media reports on last week's meeting between Australian Prime Minister John Howard and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare were inaccurate and misleading. The comments they elicited from some people in Indonesia were disappointing.

Papua New Guinea and Australia have demonstrated that they recognize Papua as an integral part of Indonesia. The Australian Prime Minister has been firm in asserting Australia's respect for Indonesia's territorial integrity in general and its sovereignty over Papua in particular.

Australia supports Indonesia's efforts to deal with the situation peacefully through dialogue and special autonomy. The Papua New Guinea Prime Minister shares this position. After his meeting with Howard, Sir Michael stated that Papua New Guinea respected the sovereignty of Indonesia of which Papua was an integral part.

This view was repeated by Pacific Island countries at the annual meeting of the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) held last week in Fiji. Despite many of the countries' leaders being lobbied by Papuan activists before the meeting, the Forum communiqui noted that "Forum leaders welcomed the passing of a special autonomy law for Papua but urged Indonesia, the sovereign authority, to ensure its full and timely implementation".

On his visit to Jakarta in August 2001, Howard signed a joint communique with President Megawati which underlined the importance of a comprehensive approach to solving the problems of Papua through advancing the primacy of dialogue, greater respect for human rights and the implementation of special autonomy status within the unitary state of the Republic of Indonesia. We condemn violence and human rights abuses by any party, and believe dialogue offers the only sustainable resolution of separatist pressures.

I note that Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda has rebutted the erroneous press reports. I hope those commentators who have misrepresented Australia's position take note of and report the facts, not fiction.

RICHARD SMITH

Ambassador

Australian Embassy

Jakarta