One Lithgow resident though is trying to bring the subject to the attention of more people.

Anthony Craig has gone as far as to protest in front of the Indonesian consul in Sydney carrying the West Papuan flag of the morning star.

He has also raised the flag locally during a visit to La Salle Academy to speak about freedom in West Papua.

The school already has a connection with Mr Craig which goes back to another of Indonesia’s territory disputes.

La Salle Academy had previously raised money to purchase an AED heart starter for East Timor’s national hospital in Dili.

As a volunteer nurse Mr Craig travelled to East Timor over the last five years and trained the nursing and medical staff on the defibrillator’s use at the hospital.

Mr Craig is also the Democratic Labour Party candidate for seat the of Calare in the next federal election.

The DLP has been renewing its calls for the Australian government to demand complete openness and transparency from the Indonesian government.

The DLP believes Australia is turning a blind eye to the genocide happening in neighbouring Indonesia and that Indonesia should allow human rights observers and international journalists into the area.

A low level insurgency has been raging in the resource-rich province since Indonesia arranged for it to become part of the country in 1969.

The latest flare up was on December 16 when Indonesian police shot dead two West Papuan activists and burned down a house in the provincial city of Wamena which was used as the “Tribal Council” office for community meetings.

Both activists were members of the West Papua National Committee (KNBP).

The shootings may indicate a new crack-down on separatist activity under the new chief of Papuan police, Tito Karnavian, who formerly ran counter-terrorist police unit Densus-88, which is partly trained and funded by Australia.