A leading academic on Indonesia's Papua province says there should continue to be engagement with Jakarta on the West Papua issue.
The Lowy Institute, in a report called the Pitfalls of Papua, has criticised support by Australian groups for the West Papuan self determination movement as misguided.
It says the support adds to the pressures in the Indonesian province, and generates unrealistic expectations among Papuans.
But Professor Peter King from Sydney University, says disengagement is not the answer.
"We contest this whole view that Indonesia cannot be deflected from what ever course it chooses. The best Australia can do is hope to persuade the Indonesians to do some of the things they have promised to do, like implementing proper special autonomy in the province and doing someting about the impunity of the military, and putting an end to the very sad saga of human rights abuses which have gone on despite democratisation."
