Sir – Is the Indonesian Government so worried about the weakness of its claim to West Papua that it feels obliged to summon the British Ambassador to explain why Britain ‘allowed’ the Free West Papuan campaign to open an office in Oxford (Report, May 9) ?

Though they hide it from their own population, Indonesia knows that the Papuans never wanted to be ‘liberated’ from the Dutch in 1963 and, given the chance, would now vote overwhelmingly for independence.

Their only response to the Papuan cry for freedom has been 50 years of unremitting violence. Benny Wenda, the Papuan independence leader and former political prisoner, now living in Oxford, only escaped death after the prison governor told him he was next to be killed. Whatever our views on Scottish Independence, we can all agree that both sides of the debate leading up to next year’s referendum must be allowed freedom of expression to persuade the Scottish people to vote either way. Imagine for a moment the outrage there would be if David Cameron made flying the Scottish flag an imprisonable offence, banned the SNP and tortured Alex Salmond in jail — or worse still, had him assassinated. For West Papuans peacefully campaigning for independence, all of the above are a daily reality, imposed by Indonesia because violence and oppression are its first and last resort to any Papuan who dares to speak out for freedom. And now, the Indonesian regime has the arrogance to question the right of Papuans to have an office in our own city of Oxford, and for principled politicians such as Andrew Smith MP, Lord Mayor Mohammed Abbassi and councillor Elise Benjamin to attend the opening. Thank you, Oxford, for giving the Free West Papua Campaign such a supportive home. Indonesia will never silence the Papuan cry for freedom in our precious British democracy.

Richard Samuelson, Middle Barton