Loughman said the Pacific Islands Forum – which is made up of 18 countries and territories in the region, including Australia, New Zealand and French Polynesia – had last year asked that Jakarta allow the UN human rights office to visit the Indonesian half of the island, but there had been little progress on the matter. Foreign journalists and rights groups do not have easy access to the Papua region.

Silvany said Vanuatu was an “ignorant” country that should keep its “sermon” to itself and practise the principles of non-interference enshrined in the UN charter.

“Let me tell them: you are no [representative] of the people of Papua, and stop fantasising [about] being one,” she said, adding that Indonesia respected human rights. “Indonesia will defend itself against any continuing advocacy of separatism conveyed under the guise of artificial human rights concerns. The provinces of Papua and West Papua are irrevocable parts of Indonesia.”

While Silvany’s comments echoed similar remarks made by an Indonesian diplomat at last year’s UN General Assembly, videos of her speaking were more widely shared on social media – with some Indonesians praising her for defending their country, while others said she came across as arrogant.

Tensions in the Papua region have flared up in recent years, with Indonesian security forces accused of heavy-handedness and excessive use of force against residents, who are largely ethnic Melanesians. The former Dutch colony was integrated into Indonesia after a widely criticised UN-backed referendum in 1969. It is among the country’s poorest areas despite being rich in resources, including gold and silver.

On Monday, police fired warning shots in Papua during a protest by several hundred university students opposing plans to extend a special autonomy status imposed by Jakarta, which is supposed to give the area a larger share of revenue from resource extraction as well as more political autonomy.

Across the Pacific islands region, the rise of self-determination movements in recent years has led to empathy for Papua’s cause. And domestic and geopolitical developments – as the region becomes a focal point in the competition for strategic influence between the United States, China and Australia, a strong Indonesian ally – have also emboldened countries to speak up.

Indonesia’s Jokowi must apologise for Papua internet throttling amid last year’s unrest, court rules

A paper by the Sydney-based Lowy Institute think tank last August pointed to a “shifting dynamic in the Pacific on the West Papua issue related to a change in leadership in key countries”.

The installation of new foreign ministers in Papua New Guinea, Fiji and the Solomon Islands has also resulted in a greater willingness to question Jakarta on human rights.

Lowy Institute research fellow Alexandre Dayant, who is part of its Pacific islands programme, said Vanuatu’s own experience of colonisation under the British and French made it an advocate of the core principles of self-determination.

“Now, an additional option they have is China. If they fail to reach an aid agreement with Australia, they can now engage with non-traditional donors, such as China, to fill the gap,” he said, adding that Beijing gave the Pacific nations a “bargaining power” they did not have before. “That’s what’s been happening not only in Vanuatu, but also in Papua New Guinea and in other countries around the Pacific.”

According to the Lowy Institute, China spent US$171.69 million on aid in the Pacific region in 2017. Vanuatu was the biggest recipient, with US$99.65 million.

In a paper published by the Australian National University last year, authors led by research fellow Denghua Zhang said while reactions to Chinese investment in the Pacific were mixed, “some Pacific politicians believe China’s presence gives them political leverage in dealing with the powers traditionally dominant in the region”.

Of the 14 independent Pacific island nations, 10 are aligned with Beijing while the remaining four recognise Taiwan.

Meanwhile, analysts and activists have urged Jakarta to address the grievances expressed by those in the country’s easternmost provinces. While Indonesian President Joko Widodo has launched large-scale infrastructure projects there, they say the benefits have not trickled down.

Aisah Putri Budiatri, researcher at the Centre for Political Studies of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, said the institute had found there were several causes of dissent in Papua, including poverty and the feeling that residents were marginalised. Last year, there were protests in several cities in the region over claims of racist abuse and mistreatment of Papuan students in the city of Surabaya.

She said Vanuatu was likely to repeat its demands at the UN each year if the problems of Papuans were not resolved. “The Papuan pro-referendum or pro-independence groups have strong relations with Vanuatu and have built relationships with other countries in the South Pacific, influenced by the same racial background.”

Additional reporting by Reuters