West Papuan refugee crisis

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In early 2006, a furor erupted in Indonesia over the Australian government's decision to grant temporary protection visas to 42 West Papuan asylum seekers. The controversy caused diplomatic tension as well as a "war of cartoons", with newspapers in Indonesia and Australia trading hits over a decision that the Indonesians say questions the sovereignty that they officially have over West Papua.

[edit] The immediate cause

The issue was caused by the Australian government’s decision through the immigration department to allow visas to 43 refugees that arrived in January. Part of the Indonesian concern is based on the speed at which these asylum seekers were processed – forty-two were processed in just two months, with the remaining asylum seeker having been approved in mid-April. The Indonesian government has taken this as a direct challenge – the approval of the temporary protection visas means that Australia agrees with the West Papuans that they face persecution if they returned home, with the implication that Australia is criticising and disagreeing with Indonesia’s governing policy in West Papua. Concern has also arisen over how much this move will encourage protestors or the independence movement. Rakyat Merdeka dingo cartoon controversy