Transcript
In recent months Indonesia has been strengthening ties with a number of Pacific Island countries.
Jakarta says this is about working together on mutual interests.
Others say it's principally about quelling support for West Papuan independence aims.
The secretary of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, Rex Rumakiek, says Australia's recent angsting about the rising influence of China in the Pacific misses the real regional threat.
"But the Melanesian countries are not very much concerned about Chinese influence. They are concerned mostly about the Indonesians' influence in Melanesia, because they're very destructive, they go right down to village level. They bribe people and buy political parties to change the government and so on. It's already happening. It's much more serious than the Chinese influence."
A spokesperson from Indonesia's Embassy in Canberra, Sade Bimantara, says Mr Rumakiek's accusation is unsubstantiated and false.
In a statement he said Indonesia has consistently engaged and worked with Pacific Island nations for many years while respecting each other's domestic affairs and sovereignty.
"On the contrary, a handful of people claiming Papuan heritage and living overseas are the ones interfering in the domestic politics of Papua and West Papua provinces. They are not citizens and were never democratically elected into public offices in those provinces by the 2.7 million voters of Papua and West Papua. And yet, they claim to be the rightful heir to the provinces."
Some Pacific governments, notably Vanuatu, continue to urge international dialogue as the best avenue for addressing West Papuan grievances.
A former Vanuatu prime minister, and leader of the country's oldest political party, the Vanua'aku Pati, Joe Natuman says the move by some members of the Melanesian Spearhead Group to accept Indonesia into the regional organisation hasn't helped.
"I think that's the biggest challenge, the problem which we invited Indonesia in. Whoever had that wise idea is causing us problems. You know, they said Indonesia comes into join (MSG) to discuss issues of West papua; Indonesia comes in and it doesn't want to discuss West papua. So I think we have to review the Indonesian membership of MSG."
An Indonesian government consultant on Papua issues, Franzalbert Joku, says it's not up to the MSG or Pacfic Islands Forum to speak for Papuans.
He says Papuans should be allowed to speak for themselves.
"By dealing with our own leaders in Jakarta and our wo government. It's not for offshore organisations like the Melanesian Spearhead Group and the Pacfic Islands Forum to decide what should happen in Papua. Our position and especially our future is firmly within our grips."
But regional calls persist for the controversial process by which Papua was incorporated into Indonesia in the 1960s to be revisited.
A New Zealand government MP Louisa Wall is among a small but vocal group of local MPs pushing for the issue of West Papuan self-determination to be heard at the United Nations.
"I believe in self-determination, I believe in indigenous rights. This is a right of the West Papuan indigenous peoples to re-litigate something that has been highlighted, actually was done in an unjust and unfair way."
However Ms Wall's voice is still part of a minority in New Zealand's government whose formal position remains in support of Indonesian control of Papua.
