Australia's Foreign Minister has accused people who advocate self-determination rights for West Papuans of misleading the indigenous people of Indonesia's Papua region.
Bob Carr made the comment during a Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee hearing on his government's response to ongoing human rights abuses in West Papua.
Insisting that Canberra regularly engages with Jakarta over issues of concern in West Papua, the Minister criticised international West Papuan solidarity groups.
"They are planting in the minds of people who actually live in the place the notion this campaign has some kind of international resonance and that is a cruel deceit by self-indulgent people safe in their own beds, safe in a democracy. A cruel deceit about the potential of a demand for secessionism."
Bob Carr says Australia and the world recognise Indonesian sovereignty over West Papua.
