A leading member of the Indonesian Parliament's foreign relations committee, Dr Djoko Susilo, is calling for retaliation against Australia for its decision to grant temporary protection visas to 42 Papuans.

Dr Susilo says if Australia wants good relations with Indonesia, the Government must realise that its decision has hurt the Indonesian people by recognising the claims made against Indonesia by the asylum seekers.

He says it is doublespeak to say that Australia respects Indonesia's territorial sovereignty and then to grant a temporary protection visa and he has called on President Bambang Yudhoyono to apply sanctions against Australia.

"We have to postpone the plan of joint exercise, joint military cooperations in this area," he said.

The Indonesian Government is still considering its response to the Australian decision.

All but one of the 43 Papuans who arrived in Australia's north in January on an outrigger canoe will be allowed to stay in the country on temporary protection visas.

The group's leader had claimed they would be killed if forced to return home - a claim dismissed by the Indonesian Government.

Ten of the refugees are currently in Perth, where several of them are receiving medical treatment and one of them is in hospital.

Jacob Rumbiak from the West Papuan Association says they are relieved to have escaped from the turmoil of their homeland.

"In Australia, no military or police come and beat people in their home or something like that when they compare with in Papua," he said.

Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone says the prospect of harming relations with Indonesia was not a factor taken into account when deciding to grant the visas.

"Each claim has to be considered on its merits," Senator Vanstone said.

A spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Minister says Alexander Downer spoke to his Indonesian counterpart to advise him of the decision, while Indonesia's ambassador to Australia has met with the head of Foreign Affairs.

Indonesia's Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda has called a meeting with departmental officials to discuss the implications of Australia's granting of the temporary protection visas.

The issue of Papua's separatist movement is an extremely sensitive one with for the Indonesian Government.

That concern was evident earlier this year when President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono phoned Prime Minister John Howard asking that the asylum seekers not be granted asylum and that they be returned to Indonesia.

The issue was at the top of the agenda when Australia's Foreign Minister met with his Indonesian counterpart in Jakarta last month.

Mr Downer asked for understanding of Australia's obligations under UN Refugee Conventions.

"We certainly don't support the secession of Papua from the Republic of Indonesia," he said.

Source: ABC Australia