Kerry Nettle (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Foreign Affairs. It relates to the UN-supervised Act of Free Choice in 1969 in West Papua, when 1,022 hand-picked voters chose integration over independence in a process that the West Papuans call the ‘Act of No Choice’. Is the minister aware of the comments by the UN undersecretary responsible for monitoring the event, who said:

It was just a whitewash … Nobody gave a thought to the fact that there were a million people who had their fundamental human rights trampled. How could anyone have seriously believed that all voters unanimously decided to join Soeharto’s regime?

Does the government accept the 1969 Act of Free Choice as the legitimate expression of the will of the West Papuan people, and will the government support calls for the United Nations Secretary-General to review the status of the Act of Free Choice?

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

I thank Senator Nettle for the question. As I indicated yesterday—and the position certainly has not changed between yesterday and today—the attitude this government has in respect of West Papua is one which strongly supports Indonesia’s territorial integrity, including its sovereignty over Papua, and this government does not support separatism. We do say that full and effective implementation of special autonomy is, in the government’s view, the best way of meeting the considerable needs of the local community.

As I said yesterday, rather than taking up issues in relation to the report, we are currently implementing something practical for the West Papuans: a $3.7 million development program in Papua that focuses on health, HIV-AIDS, education and public expenditure. There is also a great need in West Papua for capacity building. In respect of the whole situation in West Papua, we continue to urge the Indonesian government to investigate local conditions and alleged human rights violations and to ensure that the human rights of all citizens in West Papua are respected. The important issue is that this government is concerned that local conditions in West Papua are improved for the local populous. We are concerned to ensure that Indonesian territorial integrity is respected, and that is the attitude we will continue to take in respect of West Papua.

Kerry Nettle (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I remind the minister about answering the question in relation to the Act of Free Choice. What role does the Australian government see for the international community in mediating discussions between the independence movement in West Papua and the Indonesian government? What will the government do to monitor human rights in West Papua? Will the government raise the status of West Papua as an issue in upcoming international and regional forums? If not, what considerations does the government believe are more important than the human rights of the West Papuans?

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

Thank you to Senator Nettle for the question. What I have said in relation to this government’s attitude to West Papua has been well and truly articulated both in an answer yesterday and again to you today. This government is concerned that the conditions of the West Papuans are monitored. We expect all international obligations to be observed in respect of West Papua. I think that all Australians are concerned about these kinds of matters but we see them in the context of the fact that we do respect Indonesian sovereignty. I would have thought, quite frankly, that Senator Nettle would have forfeited any right that she might have ever had to think that she was concerned about human rights. She is well and truly on the record as being deeply insensitive to the rights of people in this country and I am not going to add anything further— (Time expired)