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Koteka
Tribal Assembly (Demmak)
for
Papua Presidium Council (PDP)
Websites:
http://melanesianews.org/pdp and http://www.melanesianews.org/demmak/
WEST
PAPUA: Its Illegal Occupation, Its Impacts and the Future
Introduction
 Many
people have told me, “Well, actually you are going to create a new
state, with just the same president, ministers, army, police, law
and order, and politicians anyway. The only difference is replacing
those Indonesians with Papuans. So, you better off speaking for
equality, better life, peace and justice in West Papua, rather than
independence”.
My
answer has been this: “Let us go to Irish people and ask, ‘Do
you think it is worth to have your own president, ministers, army,
police, law and order and politicians?’ because they surely know
what ‘independence’ means for a people.”
A Thank You
On
behalf of my people and elders of Papuan Tribes, I would like to
express our deep appreciation and thank you all for your support,
for allowing me to speak at this very important convention, a
historic event in West Papua history. I would like to thank the
Government for allowing me in, members of parliament for supporting
our campaign, all six Green TDs who have been supportive to the
cause to free West Papua.
Independence
Independence
for West Papua is more than just for humanity and human beings such
as democracy, development, employment, non-discrimination, freedom,
equality, social welfare, peace and security.
1.
The Past: Illegal Occupation[1]
Indonesia’s
occupation of West Papua is absolutely illegal, an outcome of an
unlawful, scandalous, and undemocratic processes of the Act of Free
Choice in 1969, which resulted in the UNGA taking note of the
outcome. And unfortunately, Ireland was one of the 84 countries
approved this scandal. This generation of transparent and democratic
world should not allow violations of democratic principles to
prevail and untouched.
2.
The Present: Effects of Occupation[2]
The
outcomes of occupation have been nightmare: real colonialism in this
civilisation. I know, Irish people know very well of what is
colonialism and what is not. You are the only modern country and
people in the world who have been colonised for centuries, won most
of the battles, but still under colonial power even up to now. Since
1961, at least 300,000 Papuans have lost their lives; plantation
programme called transmigration policy which began in 1961 (far
before the Act of Free Choice) has brought impacts on the livelihood
of Papuan people and the immigrants already outnumbered the Papuans.
Our staple foods destroyed, our music and culture banned, our
languages are not allowed to be spoken or taught, our mothers raped,
our loved ones have lost their lives, and our leaders assassinated
by so-called mysterious gangs. No single one of these have been
brought to justice, let alone investigating or making promises to do
so. I am one of the eyewitnesses of these atrocities, and right now
under a black list of the colonial power.
Besides,
we are pushed away from our community and territories, our mountains
are now called valleys, many rivers are undrinkable anymore, places
of worships, gardening, hunting and sheltering (our homes) are all
gone.
If
we speak against them, they say, “You are not from here. Our home
is up there, above the sky, somewhere over there, not on the
mountains, rivers and trees, look up there. Forget this world; do
not do anything against all these, just pray -we are heading towards
the everlasting life anyway. It is good for development, you
cannibals, headhunters, uncivilised, un-evangelised and
terrorists.”
3.
The Future: Tribal Democracy[3]
The
independence of West Papua has a great future not only for humanity,
but also more importantly for the whole communities of beings and
for our planet. We want to create a miniature-state of the planet
earth, with unique democratic principles that advocate, acknowledge,
respect, promote and protect the rights of all communities of beings
and nations.
Democratic
principles we are advocating for a free and independent West Papua
will put the quality of life of citizens in its fullness before the
profit-interest of big business, interests of the foreigners and
efforts to destroy our ways of life; the quality of all aspects of
life (spiritual and material), as well as the quality of life of
other beings on earth (plants, animals and spiritual beings). We
campaign on a broad policy platform which covers such topics as
natural development, corporate responsibility or eco-terrorism that
have impacts on the lives of all beings on earth and the planet
earth herself. We are at war against activities carried out
systematically and continuously by multinational corporations and
foreign powers against our communities of beings, under the names of
democracy, modernisation, globalisation, development and such.
Modern
democracy has successfully established standards and provisions for
promoting the rights of human beings; however, at the same time
totally and fatally failed to acknowledge, respect, promote and
protect the rights of other beings. We have come to the point where
modern politicians need wisdom of the elders, primitive knowledge,
and original views to make our “greenness” greener, green for
all beings and at the same time promote clean politics.
Many
people around the world have told me, “Yes, Sem, your vision is
great, but you are not going to get it. This world is run better
only when we have people cutting down trees, changing mountains into
valleys, turning rivers into poisons, converting forests into roads
and desserts on daily basis, 60 sec a minute, 60 minute an hour, 24
hours a day, the whole year around.” But I normally tell them,
“Yes, I know, but I have my green friends around the world, who
know exactly what I am talking about. And that we are in line right
now, jointly fighting against eco-terrorism, against greed and
imperialism of all forms.”
Diversity
A
free and independent West Papua will be a place where all beings can
live peacefully and harmoniously. This is a land of diversity, both
cultural and natural. A paradise where you can find the only bird of
paradise on earth, where about 22% of the world’s languages, at
least 11% of the world’s species of flora and fauna, the only
glacier at the equatorial line on earth, and where most of the land
and the people are untouched by foreign influences inhabit.
What
needed to be done
We
need your help to:
-
Encourage
the UNO to review its conduct during the Act of Free Choice in
1969.[i]
-
Encourage
Indonesia to give a way to political dialogue at national and
international levels to review the history of West Papua within
Indonesia.
-
Encourage
the Irish Government to support the above campaigns as well as
to revisit its status as one of the signatories of the UNGA
resolution 3504 (XXIV) of 19 November 1969.
Conclusion
We
are just one part of the whole communities of beings. Let us not be
too foolish to kill this planet. We are just one generation of
thousands before and those to come. Let us not be too greedy to
exploit all we have. Let us just leave one bit out of the islands
and continents we have, and have destroyed; -for generations to
come, so that we prevent ourselves from becoming curses for them,
but rather blessings. I want them to come to West Papua and learn
how this planet used to be since it came into being. My elders send
me here to tell you just this.
The
entry point to these “dreams” is to free West Papua from
colonial power, to make this territory free for all beings. The
undemocratic and fraudulent Act of Free Choice, followed by Ireland
being one of the signatories to the ‘taking note’ of the UNGA
resolution 2504 (XXIV) of 19 November 1969 have brought all
consequences to all the aspects of lives of human beings and the
livelihoods of plants, animals and other beings in West Papua. They
have impacts on the unique characteristics, richness and fullness of
living beings in the land. A free and independent West Papua is not
only good for human beings in West Papua, but also for all of us,
not only for human communities, but more importantly for all
communities of beings.
To
Irish People & the Greens
Irish
people have done a lot for this cause. I would like to express my
gratitude to the green politicians and members and all Irish people
all over the world. Thank you for Trevor Sargent TD for sending me
the first invitation for me to come to Ireland in July 2000 and for
meeting me in 2001 and contribution to help me, to John Gormley TD
for meeting me and helping me in my visa extension, for Deirdre
deBurca, Green Councillor in Wicklow for contacting this convention
organiser for me to speak. I would like to thank Green Senator Bob
Brown of Australia for his support to the cause, the Green Youth in
Austria for their support, West Papua Support Groups in England and
Ireland for their supports since 1998. Thank you for all Irish
people, for hosting me as I have no place to stay, feeding me as I
have no money to survive, get me pints of Guiness as I have no money
to buy one. I thank Mr. Michael Carr, a garde member in Sligo Town
who has twice put stamps on my visa so that I can stay here longer.
I thank the train, bus and car drivers for helping me in travelling
around the country. Above all, thank you for this land, the Eireann,
the land of long-suffering and the land of victory against colonial
powers, the land that I knew nothing else but bombings and shootings
before I came here, before realising that this land was in fact
divided into two separate states. Thank you to Eireann for hosting
me and feeding, enriching me and nurturing me spiritually and in
material.
Go
raibh maith agat, agus slán
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