Louise Markus (Greenway, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Would the minister update the House on the state of relations with Indonesia?

Alexander Downer (Mayo, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

First, I thank the honourable member for her question and her interest. The Australian government, and I think Australians in general, are committed to a deep and abiding relationship with Indonesia. After all, Indonesia is not just a very substantial nation in our region and a country with which we have long historic ties but, importantly, as the country with the world’s largest Islamic community, also a shining example of a democratic and pluralistic society. That is a point that we as a government have been making to our friends from the United Kingdom and the United States over the last couple of weeks.

Of course, there is some controversy at the moment about the decision by the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs to grant temporary protection visas to 42 Indonesians from Papua province. The Indonesian reaction to this decision is understandable and has not come as a great surprise to us, but I repeat what I have said once before and what I think the Prime Minister has been saying too, and that is that the decisions made by the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs are made by individual decision-makers in accordance with both international law and Australian law. This in no way means that Australia has changed its policy or its approach to the question of the province of Papua. We recognise Indonesian sovereignty over the province of Papua; we do not support any secessionist movement or attempts of other kinds to achieve separation from Indonesia in Papua.

Let me also say that the government has been very impressed with the efforts made by President Yudhoyono to achieve wide-ranging autonomy in Aceh province. I think the president’s initiatives in Aceh have been very successful. Let me also add that we do welcome the President’s commitment to finding a peaceful, just and dignified resolution in Papua, based also on the principles of special autonomy. Indonesia has shown it can resolve its own problems in its own way through dialogue. It did that in Aceh, and I am sure that the government of Indonesia will endeavour to do the same thing in Papua.

In the meantime, the Australian government very much values the friendship and cooperation that we have with Indonesia. That cooperation is in our mutual interest to help fight terrorism, to help deal with illegal fishing and to help deal with people smugglers and illegal people movements—and so the list goes on. I think it is important that it is recognised as being in both of our interests to achieve those things, and we will do what we can to ensure that that close friendship continues.