Forty Years of Indonesian Occupation 'One Big Tribe'

national | miscellaneous | news report

Monday March 24, 2003 14:45

by Brighteyes - Peaceworld

brighteyes1 at yahoo dot com

Ireland

"One Big Tribe" May 1st 2003 marks forty years of the Indonesian occupation of West Papua.West Papua was handed over in the 60's through a seriously flawed so called de-colonistaion process by the Dutch, Americans, British and the UN. The country has been ravaged, polluted and pillaged by the Indonesian government, multi-national corporations and worldwide inaction ever since.

May 1st 2003 marks forty years of the Indonesian occupation of West Papua.West Papua was handed over in the 60's through a seriously flawed so called de-colonistaion process by the Dutch, Americans, British and the UN. The country has been ravaged, polluted and pillaged by the Indonesian government, multi-national corporations and worldwide inaction ever since.

For forty years, men, women and children have been dispersed, dislocated, murdered, raped and silenced through imperialist agendas and capitalist greed. Harrowing stories have emerged of what can only be described as genocide but the powerbrokers remain inactive, silent, and in many cases collaborate in and perpetrate these crimes.

But the people of West Papua are strong. Their spirits remain free and resistance to oppression grows as within their country and around the world, brave Papuans risk their lives to tell their story.

This spirit of resistance was embodied at the "One Big Tribe" festival in Maynooth 21-22March. People from Papua, Ireland and throughout the world gathered to sing, tell their stories, weave together threads of ideas and make important and lasting links and connections.

The festival was a celebration of culture, Papuan culture, Irish culture, shared cultures and an exploration of means of expressing those cultures as resistance. We could say that culture is a set of stories, through which we remember, envision and adapt. Through our stories we affirm our culures, identities and our life paths.They are a vehicle for the imagination, a way of resisting and a source of strength.

When a people are silenced, their stories wiped out, erased and the means through which they express and share those stories restricted we can clearly see the transformative power of them.

The Indonesian government and other governments and multi-nationals colluding with this genocide also know the power of these stories and have acted accordingly. All oppression seeks to silence and manipulate truth. Acts of cultural genocide seek to erase these stories as a means of erasing the people.

Over the past few days in Maynooth we listened to sometimes harrowing accounts of oppression and destruction, not only of a people but of our earth, our animals, our spiritual connections.But as we listened we made the West Papuan story our story. As the struggle continues, more ways will be found to make this a story of the world and one in which we all have a role to play.
"When we recover our past, the earth will open its secrets" Jaime Huenun (Indigenous Chilean Poet)

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Comments (4 of 4)

Surely some mistake ....

by mr. bush

Mon Mar 24, 2003 14:55

Indonesia was "liberated" by the CIA in the 1960's ....

How could there have been any problem afterwards ....

http://www.namebase.org/scott.html

super!

by Triber

Mon Mar 24, 2003 16:14

The event was amazing! well done to all involved! The struggle continues...

Free West Papua!

SEM KAROBA, PAPUAN TRIBESMAN:

by thanks to all - WP

Mon Mar 24, 2003 16:24

Here I am again, with my words of thanks and blessings!!!
I am amazed and I am proud with full of thanks to your support and work over
the weekend. I have not got enough words to express this, but "Wa, Wa,
Wa!!!" That is all I can say, at the same time, my heart is full of
encouragement and happiness.
The land of Ireland & the people, i.e., all of us, including our enemies and
those beings we do not know yet, have witnessed now how we are moving. Let
us keep moving, with persistence, patience, and confidence. We are on the
right tract and we are doing so for a morally, legally, environmentally and
democratically justified cause, for the sake of all communities of beings.
I did not forsee what was going to happen, as I am new to doing this kind of
thing in this world, but from now on, I have seen now what is going to
happen NEXT. I was amazed and thankful that Hothouse Flowers, the whole band
can come and play. West Papua is still nothing for political consumpsion,
but for humanity and all communities of beings, it is definitely
significant, and those who care for this, ourselves, are already doing our
bits, as human beings, to contribute to the work we all beings are doing to
help West Papua.I am thankful to Piera, to pick up this cause and said, "Let us
organiseit!" and it did happen. Of course, this is a new history, a historic
eventin the whole struggle for West Papua, a new path we are building towards a
harmonious and peaceful live for all beings on earth.
I am thankful that NUI Maynooth Students supported this cause, and did their
best for the cause.I am thankful that Mark organised my Papuan friends from the
Netherlands to
come and presented a clear and comprehensive explanation of the cause.
I am thankful that all friends from our One Big Tribe were all there, from
all over the country. Something that I will not forget in my life.
We have strated somewhere and we are going to somewhere that we all know, a
Free and Independent Confederation of Papuan Tribes, tribes of human beings
and tribes of other beings, where peace and harmony will resign, if not
forever, let us say, for centuries. One Big Tribe is something and someone!
Celebrate it, and I will follow it up!!!
Thank you!!! and Blessings!!! to all of you.From your friend and brother,
Sem Karoba-------------------------------
AMP for Demmak, Messenger for International Community
Papua Press Agency, CoordinatorWatch Papua, FounderEmail: koteka@westpapua.net
Phone: +353 (0)863 746 379About me: http://www.semkaroba.com
News Updates: http://www.melanesianews.com
Campaign Updates: http://www.westpapua.net
Our Organisations: http://melanesianews.org

Sem Karoba at UL this Thursday

by Ruairi - WP

Mon Mar 24, 2003 17:06

Sem will be giving a presentation on the West Papuan struggle followed by some traditional songs at the University of Limerick on Thursday evening. More details from mkeet@hotmail.com

To set up talks, gigs, video showings, fundraisers etc please email koteka@westpapua.net

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Forty Years of Indonesian Occupation 'One Big Tribe'

Comments (4 of 4)