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

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs. It regards circumstances surrounding West Papuan related issues. I note reports that surveillance by Australian authorities as well as Indonesian authorities has been stepped up to stop Papuans from fleeing to seek asylum, with an escalation of Australian air and sea patrols as well as the placing of Indonesia border troops on high alert. Given that the Australian government has formally recognised that a genuine risk of persecution exists for those refugees who recently fled West Papua, what is the Australian government doing to ensure that those who remain in that region are not also subject to persecution? I appreciate the sensitivities around the issue and the importance of trying to maintain good relations with Indonesia, but I ask the minister: how is the Australian government working to have the persecution which now indisputably exists reduced rather than just working with Indonesia to prevent any other refugees from escaping these dangers?

Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Bartlett for a very pertinent question. The answer to it is, of course, that the government will continue to apply the law in the way in which we have in relation to anyone who comes to this country, whether they come illegally or otherwise. It is very well known what attitude the government would take. More particularly, we welcomed President Yudhoyono’s undertaking last August that his government will focus on resolving issues in Papua in a peaceful, just and dignified way based on special autonomy. That is obviously the fundamental starting point for this government’s dealings with Indonesia in relation to the matter of West Papua and those who may wish to leave it.

The Australian government strongly supports Indonesia’s territorial integrity, including its sovereignty over Papua, and we certainly do not support separatism. Full and effective implementation of special autonomy is the best way of meeting the local community needs. As no doubt Senator Bartlett would know, we are currently implementing a $3.7 million development program in Papua focused on health and some other very real issues that local communities have, such as HIV-AIDS, education and public expenditure. We also focus on capacity building so that the West Papuans are able to build on these kinds of assistance packages to make sure that they have a much better way of dealing with their local conditions. We continue to urge the Indonesian government to investigate alleged human rights violations and to ensure that the human rights of all Indonesians are respected.

As I said in my opening remarks in answer to Senator Bartlett’s question, this government treats these cases on a case-by-case basis. So far as I am aware—and I will correct the record if I am wrong about this—there have been no further arrivals. We will continue to support the Papuans through capacity building and continue to develop our relationship with the Indonesian government to ensure that special autonomy is workable and in the interests of the local population.

Andrew Bartlett (Queensland, Australian Democrats) Share this | Link to 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?

Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Bartlett for the supplementary question. As you know, Australia and Indonesia continue to cooperate on a number of matters, such as trade and investment. We cooperate on people-smuggling—and indeed we should. We have interfaith dialogue with them and are cooperating in our responses to avian influenza. It is important that no single issue should detract from the cooperation that Australia has with Indonesia.

I want to make the point that the decisions on temporary protection visas for the 42 Indonesians who arrived in January were made in accordance with Australia’s international and domestic legal obligations, as I said a little earlier. No broad conclusions should be drawn from these decisions. We strongly support Indonesia’s territorial integrity, including its sovereignty over Papua. That is really the critical issue. I do not think we can draw assumptions from the application of the Australian law.