A Papua analyst says a visit to Indonesia by US President Barak Obama in June could be pivotal in preventing a further deterioration towards violent conflict in Papua region.
This comes as the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, or LIPPI, reports that 90 percent of Papuans want dialogue with Jakarta over their region's future but that the government is afraid of dialogue.
However LIPPI's ongoing consultations with Indonesian and Papuan communities have found a willingness to try to forge a resolution to the Papuan question.
Jim Elmslie from Sydney University says international pressure is still essential if Jakarta is to support a meaningful resolution.
"The key event will be the Obama visit and what happens in the wake of that. There might be no great announcement or press releases but if we see some progress on the ground there through the appointment of more progressive military and political leaders and dialogue, even if it's low key dialogue, it's possible that the situation could start improving."
Jim Elmslie
