Koteka Tribal Assembly (Demmak)
for Papua Presidium Council (PDP)
Websites: http://www.westpapua.org.uk/demmak/, http://www.westpapua.net/pdp/

WEST PAPUA: Its Illegal Occupation, Its Impacts and the Future
By Sem Karoba, Messenger of Demmak and Mediator of PDP for Europe

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
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
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
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.
•	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
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