West Papua becoming a domestic issue within Melanesia | Pacific Beat | ABC Radio Australia

25.3.13

West Papua becoming a domestic issue within Melanesia | Pacific Beat | ABC Radio Australia: FRAENKEL: It's often the case that international or regional policy issues are fought out in domestic politics in some of the Melanesian states, it's also the case in Vanuatu that the difference between support and Opposition to the government of Frank Bainimarama in Fiji has been an issue between government and Opposition and now it's playing out on the West Papua side. And I think one of the reasons why there's some change away from the Vanuatu Government sympathy for the West Papuan secessionist cause, well first it's because of increased into Indonesian diplomacy in the region, secondly perhaps it's because Indonesia itself has changed over the last decade, with a shift towards democracy. And thirdly, it's also because of a recognition that there are complexities in the situation of the policy stance towards the position of West Papua and Papua in Indonesia.