6 Sep 2012

US words on Papua don't match its actions, says ETAN

1:28 pm on 6 September 2012

The East Timor & Indonesia Action Network says that the US Secretary of State's latest comments on the Papua region do not match her administration's actions.

Hillary Clinton has urged consultation between Indonesia's government and the people of Papua to resolve conflict in the disputed region.

Mrs Clinton says the US deplores violence in Papua and has called for full and transparent investigations into recent killings there.

The Network's John Miller says Mrs Clinton doesn't talk about the source of the violence which he says is Indonesia's security forces:

"Even as the US government deplores the violence, the US has been opening up the spigot in terms of providing weapons to the Indonesian military, which is what the military looks at. They expect some criticism for the human rights situation in West Papua, as they used to expect for East Timor. But what they look at is US actions and US actions are saying: You want jet fighters? Here's a bunch."

John Miller