Apologising for Indonesia

The Australian Section of the International Commission of Jurists reports:

ICJ Australia believes that unless the Government of Indonesia makes genuine efforts to make special autonomy succeed for the West Papuans at the practical level, the demand for self-determination and independence will continue to be a source of unrest in the province and will lead to human rights abuses and further suffering of the people.

Meantime, Sidney Jones from the International Crisis Group proves to be Indonesia's latest Western apologist. On the ABC's Lateline program a few nights back, she continually gave the Indonesians the benefit of any doubt surrounding allegations of atrocities being committed in West Papua. Jones even went as far as to note that the most recent violent acts committed by Indonesia and its proxies were retalitatory - a response to 'separatist' violence:

I think when you talk about the brutality - and there's no question there has been brutality - it's important to remember that in the cases where we've seen students getting beaten up, it's been preceded by attacks on security forces.