TIMOR LESTE: The Prime Minister of the world's newest independent country, Timor Leste, has said he would like to play a role in resolving the dispute over the territory of West Papua, which has been controlled by Indonesia since 1963.
Speaking to The Irish Times in Auckland where he was attending the Pacific Islands Forum, Dr Mari Alkatiri said he would like to play "an active and positive role in getting Indonesia and the West Papuan freedom movement together to find a peaceful solution".
He declined to support West Papuans' call for self-determination but stressed that the solution was not a military one.
"We have had our own experience of that," said Dr Alkatiri who is the first prime minister of Timor Leste, formerly known as East Timor, which voted for independence from Indonesia in 1999.
An estimated 100,000 people have been killed in West Papua, the western half of New Guinea island, since it was taken over by Indonesia 40 years ago.
The conflict continues underscored by the assassination of independence leader Theys Eluay in 2001 and the current Indonesian military operation in the central highlands of the territory.
Dr Alkatiri said the resolution of conflict over the disputed territory "was a question that has to be negotiated between West Papua and Indonesia".
He insisted that even in 24 years of resistance "we made it clear that there are no similarities between West Papua and Timor Leste vis-a-vis the United Nations and international law".
"Timor Leste was never recognized internationally as an integral part of Indonesia. For good or for bad West Papua is already recognized as a part of Indonesia."
Dr Alkatiri's offer to engage in resolving the long-standing dispute between his country's close neighbours follows the recent offer by New Zealand Foreign Minister Mr Phil Goff to mediate between the two sides.
Last week West Papuan leaders arrived in New Zealand to bring their situation to the attention of Pacific Island states. Dr John Otto Ondawame, political spokesman for the freedom movement, was included as a delegate to the forum by the island nation Vanuatu, which has supported the West Papuan cause since becoming independent in 1980.
Dr Ondawame's delegate badge allowed him to freely raise the profile of his country among Pacific leaders, including those from Australia and New Zealand. In particular he called for West Papua to be granted observer status to the forum.
New Zealand Prime Minister Ms Helen Clarke said this was not available to West Papua, however the territory was discussed by leaders and mentioned in their final communique for the fourth year in a row.