West Papua and the Australia-Indonesia relationship: a case study in diplomatic difficulty

Abstract

This article is a study of West Papua's impact on the relationship between Australia and Indonesia. Its purpose is to enhance understanding of various diplomatic challenges emerging from West Papua, the origins of these challenges, and how they impact upon the relationship. This will be achieved through an analysis of a particular incident in 2006 in which 43 West Papuan refugees arrived in Australia. This led to a diplomatic storm between the Indonesian and Australian governments, and a highly charged public debate. Insights will be gleaned from the incident and its aftermath to broaden our understanding of West Papua's impact on the Australia-Indonesia relationship.

Keywords:

• Australia
• diplomacy
• Indonesia
• international relations
• security dilemma
• separatism
• West Papua

Notes

1 West Papua is the name now commonly used to describe the province that Indonesia previously referred to as Irian Jaya, the western half of the island of New Guinea; Papua is also used. Independence activists prefer the title West Papua, however, its usage in this article does not signify any political affiliation. West Papua is preferable to simply Papua, as it is clearly distinguishable from the formerly Australian-controlled territory of Papua, the southern half of what is now Papua New Guinea.

2 John Howard's assertion that ‘we will choose who comes into this country and the circumstances in which they come’ was one of the defining statements of the 2001 election campaign, a campaign in which the Coalition sought re-election largely on the back of their hard-line approach to asylum seekers and border security.