Andrew Bartlett (Queensland, Australian Democrats) Share this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I thank the minister and note her acknowledgment of the government’s application of the law in regard to the refugees who have arrived in Australia recently. Following on from her answer, though, clearly the fact that those refugees have been acknowledged demonstrates that the central government in Indonesia is not able to ensure that people are free from persecution in West Papua. Is it not the case that, contrary to the desire of the central Indonesian government, significant players in the carrying out of some of that persecution are elements of the Indonesian military and police? How is it helpful in improving this situation in West Papua and in reducing human rights abuses for the Australian government to be considering further ties with the Indonesian military? Is the Australian government reconsidering that approach given the fact that persecution and human rights abuse still occur in West Papua, some of which involves those very same military personnel?