Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of West Papua on the displacement of civilians and children from the Nduga area following military violence in that country.

The UK fully respects the territorial integrity of Indonesia, including Papua. Within this framework we support the efforts of the authorities and civil society to address the needs and aspirations of the Papuan people.

Officials at our Embassy in Jakarta, including the Ambassador, visit Papua regularly. Officials press the Indonesian authorities to address legitimate human rights concerns, including upholding the right of all citizens to peacefully protest, and ensure the sustainable and equitable development of the province, through political dialogue. We have condemned the attack on construction workers by armed separatists in December 2018 in Nduga district. We have called on the authorities to ensure a proportionate security response.