The Indonesian government has denied that Papuans haven not enjoyed greater autonomy.
West Papua was described as a place marked by fear, violence, and isolation, during a hearing with a European Union parliament committee.
West Papuan campaigners gave testimony at the Human Rights subcommittee in Brussels on Friday into the situation in the region.
The committee was told that after 15 years of Indonesian reform there is no fundamental change of approach by the government to deal with Papuan issues
But the Indonesian government’s representative, Arif Havas Oegroseno, disputed that.
“To say that nothing changes since the last 15 years is rather mis-leading. We the government, believe that the dialogue since 1999 established Papuan policy that moves away from a security approach to a prosperity approach (and) facilitated Papuans to manage their own affairs through wide-ranging autonomy.”
Arif Havas Oegroseno, the Indonesian Ambassador to the EU.