MELBOURNE (Australian Broadcasting Corporation/Pacific Media Watch): West Papua is the collective name used by pro-independence supporters to refer to two Indonesian provinces located in the western half of New Guinea island.
The mountainous region, comprising the provinces of Papua and West Papua, is home to more than 250 Melanesian ethnic groups.
The long-running pro-independence movement in West Papua remains a sensitive issue for Indonesia, with rebels continuing to resist Jakarta's authority.
Here are five things you should know about the region:
1. What is West Papua's history?
The former Dutch colony, previously called Irian Jaya, had been preparing for independence before Indonesia asserted its claim in 1962.
The West Papua region officially became part of Indonesia after the Act of Free Choice in 1969, a referendum that was overseen by the United Nations.
Only a fraction of the population — 1026 Papuans — were selected to vote on whether or not to remain within the Republic of Indonesia.
Since the decision was made to join Indonesia, a near-constant friction has continued with reports of violent crackdowns and human rights abuses committed by Indonesian authorities against pro-independence supporters.
West Papua is one of the poorest provinces of Indonesia despite being one of the most mineral-rich regions in the world.
The poverty rate in West Papua is almost three times higher than Indonesia's national average, according to the Australian Institute of International Affairs.
2. Why have I been hearing about it recently?
In June, a coalition of West Papuan organisations was made an observer of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), a regional bloc that includes Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, and Solomon Islands.
The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) had applied for full membership, hoping it would give their movement greater political recognition.
ULMWP members who attended the summit in Honiara welcomed the MSG decision, describing it as a historic step for West Papua.
Paula Makabory is from the West Papua National Coalition of Liberation, one of the resistance organisations working alongside the ULMWP.
She told the ABC that West Papuans will continue to seek MSG membership because "we are part of the Melanesian family".
"We are not Asian. Geographically, culturally - we are Melanesian," Makabory said.
"For me being in the MSG, even though it's as an observer, that is an opportunity ... to be there and also talk to Indonesia because we have been clinging to Indonesia for peaceful negotiations."
3. What about Indonesia?
The leaders of the MSG voted to make Indonesia an associate member, paving the way for stronger cooperation between Jakarta and Melanesian countries.
Fijian prime minister Frank Bainimarama said Indonesia's sovereignty over West Papua "cannot be questioned".
"The province is an integral part of Indonesia, so when we deal with West Papua and its people, MSG has no choice but to deal with Indonesia, and in a positive and constructive manner," he said.
Sade Bimantara, spokesperson for the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra, said there were about 11 million Indonesians of Melanesian descent concentrated in five provinces in the eastern part of Indonesia.
"Indonesia's membership in the MSG will further open and strengthen connections between peoples in Indonesia and their Melanesian brothers in the South Pacific," he said.
Since 1998, Bimantara said genuine efforts have been made by the Indonesia government to improve human rights situation across Indonesia, particularly in Papua.
Human Rights Watch has said the conduct of Indonesian security forces in Papua has bred a deepening antipathy between native Papuans and Indonesian authorities.
The group takes no position on the right to self-determination, however, opposes imprisonment of people who peacefully express support for self-determination.
4. What's changed recently?
Observers in Jakarta say Indonesian President Joko Widodo, unlike his predecessors, may represent a change in policy towards West Papua.
"The Jokowi administration has been trying to improve the human rights, economic, and security conditions in Papua," said Dr Ikrar Nusa Bhakti, a research professor at the Research Centre for Politics.
"Mr Jokowi has visited Papua four times and become the first Indonesian president (to) spend his time and attentions on Papua."
During his visit in May, Widodo said he had granted pardons to five Papuan prisoners as part of the "government sincere efforts to rid the stigma of Papua as a conflict region".
He also announced that foreign media restrictions had been lifted in the region.
On the security situation, Indonesian embassy spokesman Sade Bimantara said: "Regrettably, challenges remain".
"Violence is committed both against civilians, armed separatists individuals and groups as well as against security forces," he said.
"When laws are broken, the police act to control and if needed, to disperse the crowd, consistent with the police's strict standard procedure for crowd control.
"Allegations of abuse by security forces are taken seriously by the government of Indonesia."
5. What next for West Papua?
Human rights campaigner Paula Makabory said she was doubtful the Indonesian government could keep its promises to resolve West Papua's issues.
"It was not a surprise for me to see Jokowi ... promising all these things, just like former presidents Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and others," she said.
Makabory said her group would continue to work towards self-determination for West Papua.
"To get independence - that is the goal," she said.
"We need a proper referendum to let people choose, it's not my decision.
"I would love to rule my own country, my own land, my ancestral land; it needs to be kept in its beauty - not to be exploited - for my future generations."
The Indonesian embassy's spokesman said a new vote was unlikely to happen.
"No referendum is being planned and will be planned on West Papua," Bimantara said.
"Rooted in history, language, geography and the same plight as former colony of three nations, the West Papuans like the peoples from other regions of Indonesia have always considered themselves as part of Indonesia.
"In 1969 the governments of Indonesia, the Netherlands, the United Nations and its members and most importantly the people of West Papua ... reaffirmed that West Papua is an irrevocable part of Indonesia."
Australia says it recognises Indonesia's sovereignty over the Papua provinces, as outlined by the 2006 Lombok Treaty between Australia and Indonesia.
Indonesian sovereignty of the area is widely recognised by the international community.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 New Zealand Licence.
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