Reluctant Indonesians: Australia, Indonesia, and the Future of West Papua

by Clinton Fernandes

Timely and provocative, this analysis challenges the orthodox views of the foreign policy establishment and its various supporters in the media by examining West Papua, Australia’s relationship with Indonesia, and Australian foreign policy in general.

Genres: Politics

144 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2007

Reviews

[Ervin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Challenging look into the chequered and murky history of West Papua, and the impact of Indonesian and Australian actions in the region. Argument can be single-minded at times and there are some strange passages with glaring errors, but it overall gives a comprehensive account of the events of the past half century with conclusions that are hard to ignore.

Unfortunately the need for Australia to deal with Indonesia differently in regards to its minority groups and to reassess links with the Indonesian military is going to be overshadowed by the botched handling of the recent spying crisis and the need to now restore trust and heal the damage done to bilateral relations. Maybe Indonesia's reassessment of our relations should actually mean we do the same, instead of trying to revert back to the old situation.