The co-author of a new book about peacebuilding in Indonesia says unless there's a positive approach to dialogue over the problems of Papua region, it's a matter of when, not if, a large eruption of violence occurs.
The book, 'Anomie and Violence: Non-truth and Reconciliation in Indonesian Peacebuilding', says that ongoing repression and exploitation of resources in Papua is feeding deep resentment and alienation among indigenous people, especially the young.
The Australian National University's Professor John Braithwaite says that other governments and international corporations with a large stake in Papua region have a responsiblity to push for dialogue.
"Especially a company like BP which is a powerful company in the world system and has a capability to make some preventative diplomacy happen. I think some leadership from BP in particular would be very helpful. And I think it is quite a good point with Obama coming for people of concern to get engaged with the West Papua issue."
